Intro

Developing countries are the least responsible for climate change, but they are the most affected by it. That’s why the Alliance of Small Island States first proposed a fund to mitigate that damage back in 1991.

But 31 years later, a deal had still not been reached, and Aminath Shauna, the environment minister of the Maldives, was no longer willing to take no for an answer. Shauna describes how careful relationship building, an impromptu scuba diving trip, and a last-minute change in language helped secure the historic deal.

The Negotiators is a podcast from Foreign Policy and Doha Debates—and a special partner this season, the International Peace Institute.