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The focus of this issue paper is on the global decision-making process, which can be seen as the development over time of a pattern of multilateral negotiations resulting in decisions, agreements and commitments which have implications for national policy making. Major socio-political and economic changes during the past decades set that context and had far-reaching effects for policy discourse and process. The surrounding political context influenced the evolution of the policy processes, what it produced and how these outputs were received. Part of this external influence has also affected the endogenous drivers operating in the process.

This paper is an annotated outline for the preparation of a more comprehensive analysis of the development of the international policy environment in the last decades. At this stage it focuses on the illustration of a conceptual framework to identify and analyse the factors influencing the decision making process at the global level. It illustrates the logical and functional linkages between the decision making centres, the targets established, the implementation tools, the executing agencies, and the commitments of the countries. It also provides a preliminary review of each single factor drawing from the consulted literature.

This paper is part of the FAO Policy series: EASYPol-Resources for policy making (in agriculture, rural development and food security). You can find other EASYPol series' resources in the Resources section of this website, typing "EASYPol" in the free text search.