Convention and protocols --- Desiree, actually UN FCCC and the Paris Agreement would be a good example to illustrate on. Allow me to do so in different words.

The UN FCCC is a convention - Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has been signed by 197 states as of now. Based on UN FCCC, countries agreed on the Paris Agreement specifically to limit CO2 emissions. Eritrea, Libya and Yemen did not ratify the Paris Agreement so far and Iraq just did so on 1 November 2021.

When we take the USA as an example - UN FCCC was ratified by the US in 2016,as well as the Paris Agreement. When Trump administration took office, Trump declared withdrawal from the Paris Agreement in 2017, which became effective on 4 November 2020 (there is a time regulation on withdrawal, so it took this long). In February 2021, Biden administration rejoined the Paris Agreement. So, the US was the whole time party to the UN FCCC, but from 4 Nov 2020 to February 2021 it was not party to the Paris Agreement. I hope it makes it clearer.

Source author: Pavlina Ittelson pavlinai@diplomacy.edu