Important Environmental Treaties

TreatySigned/Into forceMajor Points
Aarhus Convention on Access to information for public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters1998Aarhus is a Danish city

Adopted at the fourth ministerial conference in the ‘Environment for Europe’ process

Links environmental rights and human rights

 

India – No

Vienna Convention for the protection of Ozone layer1985/1988Does not include legally binding reduction goals for the use of CFCs

 

At Vienna Conference

Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone layer1987/1989It is a protocol to the Vienna Convention

 

“perhaps the single most successful international agreement” – Kofi Annan

196 states ratified

Includes CFCs, HCFCs

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal1989/1992Particularly to prevent waste transfer from Developed to LDCs

 

175 parties

Signed but not ratified: Afghanistan, Haiti, US

Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade1998/2004Rotterdam is a city in Netherlands

 

Endosulfan is proposed to be added to the list

 

Stockholm Convention on persistence organic pollutants2001/2004173 parties
Bamako Convention1991/1998On the ban on the import into Africa and the Control of movement of Hazardous waste within Africa

Negotiated by 12 nations of Organisation of African Unity at Bamako, Mali

   
The CBD Framework  
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern technology. The Protocol applies to the transboundary movement, transit, handling and use of all living modified organisms that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health
Nagoya Protocol  
   
For Conservation  
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Aka Washington Convention1973/1975Under IUCN. Trade in specimen should not threaten the survival of plants and animals. Only one species under it ‘Spix Macaw’ has become extinct in the wild.
Convention on Migratory Species aka Bonn Convention1979/1983To conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species
Antarctic Treaty System1959/196112 original members. HQ: Buenos Aires. India joined in 1983. Sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity there. First arms control treaty during the cold war.
International Whaling Commission1946Signed in Washington. Moratorium on whaling adopted in 1986. Following countries havnt adopted the moratorium: Norway, Iceland, Japan.
UN Convention to Combat Desertification1994 (on the basis of Agenda 21)/1996First and only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.

194

2006: Int. Year of Deserts and Desertification.

Non-parties: Iraq, Montenegro, Vatican

Secretariat: Rome

Meetings: 1st – Rome 1997, 9th – Buenos Aires, 2009

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