A Berlin Mandate is a ruling negotiated at the first Conference of the Parties (COP 1), which took place in March, 1995, concluding that the present commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are not adequate.

Under the United Nations Framework Convention, developed countries pledged to take measures aimed at returning their greenhousegasemissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. The Berlin Mandate establishes a process that would enable the Parties to take appropriate action for the period beyond 2000, including a strengthening of developed country commitments, through the adoption of a protocol or other legal instruments.