ABSTRACT
Introduction During the last few decades a large number of environmental treaties have been negotiated at the international level. In the days of globalization, it is inevitable that nations all over the world will be involved in the process of treaty negotiation. But while these countries are drawn into the negotiating process, many are less than prepared to deal with the complex issues involved. India, too, has been caught up in the global commitment to address global environmental issues and has been participating in a number of international treaties. India has signed and ratified, among others, the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances,1 and its London and Copenhagen amendment, the Basel Convention,2 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,3 the Convention on Biological Diversity,4 the CITES Convention,5 and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)6. From a generally defensive role7 in international environmental treaties, India is moving very slowly towards a proactive policy. In October 2002, India hosted the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention. The act of hosting the Conference is viewed as "an important capacity building exercise in the country and will also provide an opportunity to showcase efforts made by India in the environmental arena/'8 Against this background, this paper analyzes the role of India in relation to the Climate Change Convention.
