Does the narrative matter in international negotiations??
Arvind Subramanian of the Perterson Institute for International Economics draws lessons from the Trade Related International Property Rights (TRIPS) negotiations in the Uruguay Round of 20 years ago where the IP lobby in the US succeeded in framing the narrative in moralistic terms. This forced the developing countries to be defensive during negotiations ultimately resulting in agreements favoring the developed countries although they may have had a weaker case. In an article in the Business Standard "Climate Change-Winning the narrative" he advocates a stand for India that should at least avoid losing the battle of the climate change narrative and avoid being portrayed as the bad guy. A starting point is to offer constructive engagement.
