Governance & Policy

UNFCCC Secretariat

Meaning statusEstablishedSource recordDirect source requestedWhy these are different

Definition

The UNFCCC secretariat is the permanent staff of the climate convention, established in 1992 and headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It organises the negotiating sessions (COPs, subsidiary body meetings), supports the constituted bodies, maintains the registries and repositories on which the regime runs (NDC registry, national communications, transparency data), and provides analytical and logistical continuity to a process whose political leadership rotates annually. It is headed by an Executive Secretary appointed by the UN Secretary-General.

References

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “UNFCCC Secretariat” is defined and used.

unfccc.intBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Overview

How it is used

The institution structures session logistics, submission and registry systems, synthesis reporting for the stocktake, and support to national reporting.

Why it matters

Multilateralism needs a machine room; the secretariat is the climate regime's — the difference between a conversation and a system.