The climate change process does not stop when the COP and subsidiary bodies are not in session. Parties continue their efforts to implement the Convention at home and work on their negotiating positions for the next sessions. If they were requested to do so by the SBSTA or the SBI at the last session, they submit written views or proposals to the secretariat on particular topics. The secretariat prepares background papers, compiles submissions from Parties, and makes arrangements for the next sessions.

The COP Bureau usually meets two or three times in between COP sessions, while the COP President may also choose to convene high-level informal consultations to pave the way for maximum progress at the next session.

A practice that is becoming more common in the climate change process is to convene informal workshops and consultations on specific issues in between sessions of the Convention bodies. These are held in Bonn or elsewhere (by invitation), and are organized by the secretariat, under the guidance of the subsidiary body Chairmen, with attendance from an invited representative group of Parties. Representatives of observer organizations may also be invited, subject to the availability of physical resources and depending on the mandate. The aim of these inter-sessional meetings is to promote informal discussion and to explore options, without entering into negotiations or taking decisions. Some are technical in nature, and NGO experts may be invited to provide their technical inputs on specific issues.