At present, the gathering of 195 countries cannot take a decision without consensus. Till recently, consensus meant unanimity. But at the last big meeting in Cancun in 2010, the host Mexico dramatically altered that by over-ruling a very vocal Bolivia and finalized the 'Cancun agreements'.
The Cancun agreements operationalised the controversial Copenhagen Accord, which could not be adopted earlier as a UN decision because some countries had opposed the move. Bolivia had said the Cancun agreements were leading to a regime that would not stop climate change but be a fig leaf for all. The Copenhagen accord had remained just a political statement despite the best efforts of developed countries.
The new, controversial proposal from Mexico, which continues to head the talks till South Africa takes over at the end of the year, could completely alter the geo-political games at the UN negotiations where each country, regardless of size and power, holds veto and has one vote. Read the full report here.
Source: Nitin Sethi, TNN, New Delhi.
