Conflicts of interest (COIs) have the capacity to undermine the integrity and legitimacy of decision-making in international legal fora. The issue of COIs has recently become a contentious issue within the international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Despite an emerging debate on COIs, key issues regarding engagement with certain non-state actors, and the reforms that could be implemented in response, remain to be systematically addressed. This article therefore examines best practice for addressing COIs in international fora to see how this might inform management of the issue within the UNFCCC. We find that protecting the integrity and legitimacy of the UNFCCC will likely require its Conference of the Parties to clearly define COIs and to adopt a process for their management. This reform will bring the UNFCCC into line with best practices in global governance and improve prospects for more effective international law on climate change.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Keywords:	climate change, international negotiations, conflict of interest
Research Division:	Law and Legal Studies
Research Group:	Environmental and resources law
Research Field:	Environmental law
Objective Division:	Environmental Policy, Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Objective Group:	Environmental policy, legislation and standards
Objective Field:	Environmental policy, legislation and standards not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Dambacher, BMR (Ms Brook Dambacher)
UTAS Author:	Stilwell, MT (Mr Matthew Stilwell)
UTAS Author:	McGee, JS (Associate Professor Jeffrey McGee)
ID Code:	136412
Year Published:	2020 (online first 2019)
Web of Science® Times Cited:	4
Deposited By:	Office of the Faculty of Law
Deposited On:	2019-12-18
Last Modified:	2021-02-16
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