International Negotiations and Diplomacy: the Case of Climate Change

3 units

This class introduces processes and techniques for effectively engaging in diplomacy and negotiating international agreements. Using the international climate regime as the focus of study, the class explores how to effectively engage in complex international policy negotiations. The key question we will explore is: How do you exert influence in a process where >190 countries, organized in a huge number of cross-cutting coalitions, collaborate in a highly formalized negotiation process to reach an agreement on a large number of issues that touch all aspects of how our economies function? While this class focuses on effective negotiating and skills development, it also examines the history of the international climate regime and its path from the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to the Paris Agreement, discusses recent developments, and develops a basic understanding of the substance of climate change. Students will be graded on the basis of written assignments, a final paper, engagement and participation in class, and a group project (if assigned). [BCCCR Requirement: this course contains 2 hours of BCCCR instruction.]