Annex I / non-Annex I

Two lists of Parties attached to the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Annex I contains the industrialised countries and economies in transition as they stood at the time; non-Annex I covers the remaining Parties. Several Convention obligations — particularly on reporting, and on the provision of financial and technological support — were differentiated according to these lists, with Annex II a subset of Annex I carrying specific support commitments.

Why it matters in the room

The lists are written into a 1992 treaty and have not been redrawn, while the Paris Agreement organises obligations differently — around nationally determined contributions and common frameworks with flexibility. Knowing which instrument a speaker is arguing under prevents a great deal of talking past one another.