North-South Conflicts and Power Distribution in UNCED Negotiations: The Case of Forestry

Campos Mello, V. de (1993). North-South Conflicts and Power Distribution in UNCED Negotiations: The Case of Forestry. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-93-026

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Abstract

This paper addresses the conflict between industrialized and developing countries over resources, the environment, and economic development. In the past, such North-South conflicts have usually resulted in virtual deadlock and the inability to reach joint decisions, limiting the effectiveness of the international negotiation process. In this case study of the forestry issue, viewed within the context of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), an outcome -- a partial agreement -- was achieved despite very strong impediments and the opportunity for total impasse. The author explains the case analysis in relation to a conceptual framework that posits power and power asymmetry between the two major negotiating blocs as the principal catalysts in reaching a solution where the "weak" triumphs over the "strong."

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