The governing bodies of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) are often known as the Conference of the Parties (COP). COPs are frequently given the mandate to “review, evaluate and adopt decisions related to the implementation of the treaty; consider and take any action necessary to achieve the objectives of the treaty.” While this text may make it seem that the COP can take any action, the question of what the COP can and cannot decide is more complex.
Scope and Limits of Decisions by the Conference of the Parties: Key Considerations for the Future Plastics Treaty provides examples of the kinds of actions that COPs typically take and contrasts them with the actions that need to be accomplished through the adoption of amendments to a treaty or the adoption of new annexes. It outlines:
- examples of COP decisions
- decisions of the COP that have been questioned, contested, or not allowed, and
- actions the COP cannot take through decisions.
(This brief was published on October 14, 2024)