Highlights and images for 5 February 2026

Negotiations broke down, with one day left in the meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to reach agreement on the rules of procedure for how the new science-policy panel will undertake its work and decisions. Other decisions are waiting for these rules of procedure: where the secretariat will be located, a trust fund to support delegates’ participation, and a way forward to develop other aspects of the Panel.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

At the start of the day, some lauded, and others lamented, that 12 of 50 rules of procedure had been agreed after four negotiating days. A delegation gained considerable support to use the rules of procedure from the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA). Using these rules at this moment in the meeting, they argued, could allow outstanding decisions to be taken immediately. Some worried about the implications if they left the meeting without tangible results. But support for the proposal was not unanimous.

Panel Members are trying to operate on good faith, because they do not have established rules for how to conduct their business. That good faith evaporated. The tone turned tense and terse. They could not agree on how to consider the proposal on using UNEA’s rules, or if the Chair could even suggest Panel Members consider it. To “let heads cool,” everyone took a break.

Coming back in the afternoon, the contact group again took up the work to develop the Panel's rules of procedure, while the Chair conducted informal consultations on the way forward with the process. For two hours, they circled around the same debate on how to nominate and elect the Bureau members. Another break was helpful to allow the most vocal delegates to draft a compromise.

By the evening there was no word from a small group that had broken off to try to find a way forward for the process. Surely part of that work will also involve trying to re-discover a common sense of good faith and respect.