CIAO DATE: 04/2011
March 2011
Finnish Institute for International Affairs
The Cancún climate meeting adopted a package of decisions on mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology to numerous standing ovations. However, it did so against loud and formal protests from Bolivia. At the close of the Cancún meeting, Bolivia stood conspicuously isolated, but made very explicit objections to adopting the decisions with unforeseen persistence. The Mexican presidency gavelled through the decisions and clarified that "the consensus rule does not mean unanimity, far less does it mean the possibility of one delegation exercising a right of veto after years of hard work and huge sacrifices by many others [...] I cannot disregard the position and wish of 193 other parties, hence the decision has been duly adopted".
Resource link: A climate of consensus: The UNFCCC faces challenges of legitimacy and effectiveness [PDF] - 1.7M