Negotiate more effectively with AI
How the ‘NegotiateAI’ app is assisting countries with UN negotiations on a global plastics treaty
More than 160 countries were recently in negotiations in Geneva on a global plastics treaty. The treaty is important for Germany in order to establish clear rules against plastic pollution – for environmental and health protection, and to create planning security for companies. Reducing single-use plastics and recycling are important levers for climate protection as they can reduce emissions.
All participating nations were able to submit statements and documents regarding their positions. Countries and island states from the Global South, in particular, which are already heavily affected by the plastic and climate crisis, often lack the resources to sift through all this paperwork. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has developed a solution: with the NegotiateAI app, they can position themselves more effectively in plastics negotiations. The development of the digital tool was supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN).
Removing barriers
In the most recent negotiations, a central element was a United Nations website where the positions submitted by the countries in writing were stored in an unstructured database.
Countries from the Global South often travel with only two people or very small delegations. In some cases, two experts have to view all the documents for these nations – work often carried out by dozens of people in other delegations. This has consequences: precisely the countries most affected by plastic pollution are thus unable to maintain an overview, coordinate with others and strengthen their position.
Open, free of charge and collaborative
NegotiateAI assists with all these challenges. Texts are analysed with the help of AI and sorted into thematic clusters. The tool is provided as an open-source application and can be accessed free of charge via the website www.negotiate-ai.com. App users can ask the AI questions in various languages, filter for specific keywords, compare country positions, request brief summaries and track the development of drafts of the plastics treaty.
In this way, AI not only helps all delegations to develop an informed opinion. It also makes it easier to find countries that hold similar positions on key issues and are suitable partners.
Model for future negotiations
GIZ improved the app in time for the conference in Geneva. This is just the beginning, however, as the principle can be applied to almost any other conference. The GIZ Data Lab is currently working with other partners on versions for other important events: the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil in November 2025 and the regular negotiations of the multilateral biodiversity fund for implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. NegotiateAI demonstrates specifically how AI can advance sustainable policies.
Last update: August 2025
