Table Of Content‘Thislong-overduebookwillbeanimmensecontributioninenhancingknowledge
andappreciationoftheintricaciesofmultilateralnegotiationsatUNheadquarters
ondiverse social,economicandenvironmentalissues,molding disparateinterests
andsubjectiveagendasintolastinglegislativeoutcomeswhosemainobjectivesare
to enhance peace and prosperity in harmony with our environment, respect of
humanrightsandwomenempowerment.’
—Munyaradzi Chenje, Deputy Chief Officer, Secretariat of the Multilateral
Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol; former UN
Environment Programme New York Office Deputy Director and
Head of Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs
‘Itisnotenoughtoeloquentlyestablishpositionsandred-linesinmultilateral
negotiations; perhaps itisnoteven enough to strivetobuild consensus.Instead,
it takes courage, vision and skills to be successful and give meaning to a nego-
tiated outcome, and with their years of experience and involvement in varied
multilateral negotiations, Rebecca, Jimena and Ye-Min provide that connection
and insight in their book. This is an inventive and resourceful blueprint for any
Diplomat or Advisor contemplating a stint with the foremost international
organization, the United Nations Organisation.’
—Damptey Bediako Asare, Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring
and Evaluation Bureau; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional
Integration of Ghana; Former Negotiator for G77
&China, New York
‘This is the type of publication I wish I had at the beginning of my UN
journey. However, it also provides much needed lessons for seasoned diplomats
as well. The messages, insights, and examples, offer that rare glimpse of the
inner workings of the UN multilateral process, while also shedding light on the
important, and often thankless, role of a country’s representative to the UN. It
could very well become required reading for future UN diplomats.’
—Carlisle Richardson, former Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis to
the UN; Former Economic Affairs Officer of the UN; author
of ‘Island Journeys: The Impact of the Island Way of
Life at Home and Abroad’
‘Jimena, Rebecca, and Ye-Min have done a remarkable job in connecting the
theoryofnegotiationwithhowitispracticedwithintheUN.Thethreeofthem
were amazing colleagues, interlocutors, confidants and versatile negotiators
during our collective journey towards Rio+20, the Conference that paved the
way for the Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrating what is possible
when Governments, the UN bureaucracy, and stakeholders work together.’
—Farrukh Khan, former G77 negotiator from Pakistan
‘Forsome,outcomesnegotiatedattheUN-orinothervenues-canmeanlifeor
death.Foreveryone,suchdiscussionsofferthepotentialforanimprovedsituation
inabetterworld.WhenIarrivedformypostingattheUN,thenegotiatingprocess
was like a black box - nothing was precisely what it seemed. This book, which
provides essential guidance for a new negotiator, would have been an immense
helptomeasIbeganmytourinNewYork,shorteningthetimeittooktogetup
tospeedwiththeinsandoutsofmultilateralnegotiations.Italsooffersinsightsfor
complexandcontentiousnegotiationsaroundtheworldbeyondtheUN.’
—Anne Heidi Kvalsøren, Norwegian Special Representative
for the peace process in Colombia
‘Profound, insightful, concrete: this book is a must-read guide for anyone
entering the highly complex matters of multilateral negotiations, written by
three truly inspiring and talented women. With two of them I had the great
privilege to spend many hours negotiating – and I share very fond memories of
great cooperation, building trust and even friendship while often sitting at the
oppositesideofthenegotiatingtable.Andthesearethethingsthathelpmaking
the difference on the way towards a better world.’
—Sandra Ruppen, former Senior Advisor to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein
‘Being able to negotiate well is a critical skill for each of us. In their book,
Wu Ye-Min, Rebecca Webber Gaudiosi, and Jimena Leiva-Roche offer UN
diplomats – and negotiators everywhere – practical advice on how to effectively
navigate the negotiation process. Using real-life examples and well-crafted
nuggets of theory, the authors have provided a succinct and useful guide for
improving our approach to negotiation in all facets of our lives.’
—Elizabeth McClintock, Managing Partner, CMPartners, LLC; Adjunct
Assistant Professor of International Negotiations, The Fletcher
School, Tufts University; Adjunct Lecturer, SAIS,
Johns Hopkins University
‘This book, written by negotiators who have been at the frontline of UN
negotiations, provides a firsthand perspective of what it means to negotiate at
the UN. It vividly conveys the process and dynamics of UN negotiations, and
will play a critical role in preparingpolicy makers and negotiators from around
the world who deal with UN issues.’
—Noel Gonzalez, Director General for Planning and
International Development Cooperation Policies,
Mexican Agency for International Development
Cooperation (AMEXCID)
‘Three experienced UN negotiators offer an insightful, in-depth, and at times
humorous study on how UN negotiations work and diplomats behave. From
“package deals” to “silence procedures,” this book is more than a guide to nego-
tiations;itisarefreshing,solidandmuch-neededdefenseofmultilateralismforthe
21stcentury.’
—Paulo Chiarelli, Counsellor, Brazilian diplomat with over
12 years’ experience in climate change and
sustainable development negotiations
‘I wishto congratulate my former colleagues Jimena, YeMin and Rebecca for
this timely and insightful behind the scenes look at the United Nations and the
intergovernmental negotiating process. Despite its flaws, the United Nations
remains our best hope for addressing global threats to peace and security, pro-
motinggoodhumanrightspracticesandforadvancingthecauseofdevelopment.
The insights and recommendations from these three talented, experienced and
skillfuldiplomatsonhowtoimprovetheeffectiveness,efficiencyandimpactofthis
greatorganizationcomesatanimportantjunctureinglobalaffairs.Morethanever
theworldneedsastrong,effectiveandrenewedUnitedNations.’
—Selwin Hart, Ambassador of Barbados to the United States
of America and Permanent Representative of Barbados to the
Organization of American States, Embassy of
Barbados/Permanent Mission of Barbados to the OAS
‘The United Nations is the place where every country comes to do business
and solve problems that require collective action. Whether interests clash or
align, countries use the UN to build coalitions around shared purpose – more
important than ever in this precarious time. Their negotiators are on the front
lines, and these authors are masters of that craft. From their diverse perspec-
tives, they provide a front row seat to how multilateral negotiations are won
or lost. Long-time practitioners and first-time students will all find this book
essential reading.’
—Elizabeth Cousens, former US Ambassador to ECOSOC and lead
U. negotiator on the Sustainable Development Goals,
Deputy CEO of the UN Foundation
‘This book is a master-class in the theory and practice of multilateral nego-
tiations. It reminds us of the unique role which the UN can, and must, play in
crafting solutions to the most pressing global challenges. I congratulate the
authors on a vivid and highly accessible account of the factors which deliver
successful UNoutcomes.This isessential reading for allwho wish to play their
part as UN negotiators in fashioning a better world for us all.’
—David Donoghue, former Permanent Representative of
Ireland and co-facilitator of the Intergovernmental
Negotiations on the 2030 Agenda
‘Based on their experienceof recent years, Ye-Min, Rebecca and Jimena have
written this guide on the dynamics of multilateral interactions which shape the
decisions of the principal organs at the United Nations. It is meant as a hand-
book for those that actually participate in the negotiations, reflecting anything
from simplestatements to formalresolutions anddeclarations,and showingthe
wide breadth of activities that go into their work. From the trivial to the
momentous, I found it a highly readable and illuminating book.’
—Gert Rosenthal, former Permanent Representative
of Guatemala to the UN
‘This unique guide for negotiators syntheses the main insights a diplomat
often only learns the hard way. Itisavery muchneeded resource. Throughthis
book,anyoneinterestedintheworkoftheUNwillbeabletobetterunderstand
the challenges of finding critical pathways, beyond culture and interests, to find
workable solutions and common ground.’
—Paula Caballero, Managing Director, Climate and
Water, Rare; former Director of Economic,
Social and Environmental Affairs, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, Colombia
‘A helpful ‘How To’ guide for both newcomers and old-timers in the ever-
more-important arena of multilateral negotiations. As the world grapples with
global problems ranging from climate change to global health to international
tradeand development, theUNwillbeanessential forumtoreachingnecessary
globalagreements,andthisslimvolumeprovidesbothanoperationalroad-map
for the practitioner and a valuable window into the process for all interested
observers.’
—Jonathan Pershing, former US Special
Envoy for Climate Change
Negotiating at the United Nations
This book offers a comprehensive practitioner’s guide to negotiating at the United
Nations (UN).
Althoughmuchofthecontentcanbeappliedbroadly,theguidefocusesespeciallyon
navigating multilateral negotiations at the UN. The book is a tool to help new UN
negotiators, explaining basic negotiation concepts and offering insight into the com-
plexitiesoftheUNsystem.Itcanalsoserveasaplaybookforcooperationfornegotia-
tors at any level, exploring the dynamics of relationships and alliances, the art of
chairinganegotiation,andtheimportanceofbalancingthepowerasymmetriespresent
inanymultilateraldiscussion.Inaddition,thebookproposesimprovementstotheUN
negotiation process, looks at the impact of information technologies on negotiation
dynamics,andsharesstoriesfromwomenUNdelegatestoillustratewhatitmeanstobe
afemalenegotiatorattheUN.Thisbookisanexplorationofthepoweroftheindivi-
dualinanynegotiation,andoftheresponsibilityallnegotiatorshaveinwieldingthat
powertospeakforabetterworld.
Thisbookwillbeofmuchinteresttostudentsofdiplomacy,globalgovernance,foreign
policy,andInternationalRelations,aswellaspractitionersandpolicymakers.
RebeccaE.WebberGaudiosirepresentedtheUnitedStatesattheUNfrom2006–14,
leadingonU.S.engagementwithover25organizationsfocusedonenvironmentand
sustainable development. She has also worked with several UN specialized agencies
and on bilateral environment issues. Her most recent assignment was at the U.S.
Embassy in Cairo.
Jimena Leiva-Roesch was at the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the UN in
New York, from 2009–15, where she last served as Counsellor. She was the lead
negotiator for Guatemala in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN
climate change negotiations. She is currently a Research Fellow with the Interna-
tional Peace Institute.
Ye-MinWuhasworkedwiththeMinistryofForeignAffairs,Singaporeforoveradecade.
WhileatthePermanentMissionofSingaporetotheUNinNewYork,shechairedUN
negotiations as well as represented the Group of 77 and China in UN negotiations on
sustainabledevelopmentissues.Theviewsexpressedhereinaretheviewsoftheauthor
anddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheviewsoftheGovernmentofSingapore.
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Negotiating at the United
Nations
’
A Practitioner s Guide
Rebecca E. Webber Gaudiosi,
Jimena Leiva-Roesch
and Ye-Min Wu
Firstpublished2019
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
andbyRoutledge
52VanderbiltAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninformabusiness
©2019RebeccaE.WebberGaudiosi,JimenaLeiva-RoeschandYe-MinWu
TherightofRebeccaE.WebberGaudiosi,JimenaLeiva-RoeschandYe-Min
Wutobeidentifiedasauthorsofthisworkhasbeenassertedbythemin
accordancewithsections77and78oftheCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct
1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedorreproducedor
utilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,mechanical,orothermeans,now
knownorhereafterinvented,includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissioninwritingfrom
thepublishers.
Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarksor
registeredtrademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationandexplanation
withoutintenttoinfringe.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:WebberGaudiosi,RebeccaE.,author.|LeivaRoesch,Jimena,
author.|Wu,Ye-Min,author.
Title:NegotiatingattheUnitedNations:apractitioner’sguide/RebeccaE.
WebberGaudiosi,JimenaLeiva-RoeschandYe-MinWu.
Description:Abingdon,Oxon;NewYork,NY:Routledge,2019.|Includes
bibliographicalreferencesandindex.|
Identifiers:LCCN2018047524(print)|LCCN2018059949(ebook)|ISBN
9780429956720(WebPDF)|ISBN9780429956713(ePub)|ISBN
9780429956706(Mobi)|ISBN9781138590410(hardback)|ISBN
9780429491047(e-book)
Subjects:LCSH:UnitedNations--Decisionmaking.|International
cooperation--Decisionmaking.|Negotiation.
Classification:LCCJZ4984.5(ebook)|LCCJZ4984.5.W442019(print)|
DDC341.23--dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2018047524
ISBN:978-1-138-59041-0(hbk)
ISBN:978-0-429-49104-7(ebk)
TypesetinSabon
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
To our children – the future negotiators for a better world – and
our supportive husbands, without whom we could not have writ-
ten this book.
Soli Deo Gloria
