International Convention and Treaties for

Sustainable Development
1. Vienna Convention
1.1 M ONTREAL PROTOCOL
2. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
3. Rotterdam Convention
4. Basel Convention
5. Convention on Biological Diversity
5.1 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety:
5.2 Nagoya Protocol
5.2.1 Aichi Target
6. United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
7. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
7.1 KYOTO PROTOCOL
7.1.1 KYOTO M ECHANISM
7.1.2 Doha Outcome
7.1.3 W arsaw Outcome
7.1.4. Paris Agreement
8. Bonn Convention:
9. Barcelona Convention
10. Ramsar Convention
11. CITES
12. Convention on the Prevention of M arine Pollution by Dumping of
W astes and Other M atter
13. M inamata Convention
14. International Convention for the Prevention of P ollution from Ships
(M arpol)
15. Benzene Convention
16. International Convention for the Regulation of W haling (ICRW )

1. Vienna Convention:

Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

Often called a framework convention, because it served as a framework for

efforts to protect the globes ozone layer.

The Vienna Convention was adopted in 1985 and entered into force on 22
September, 1988.

The objectives of the Convention were for Parties to promote cooperation by

means of systematic observations, research and information exchange on
the effects of human activities on the ozone layer and to adopt legislative or
administrative measures against activities likely to have adverse effects on
the ozone layer.

The Vienna Convention did not require countries to take concrete actions to
control ozone depleting substances. Instead, in accordance with the
provisions of the Convention, the countries of the world agreed the Montreal
Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer under the Convention
to advance that goal.

The Parties to the Vienna Convention meet once every three years, back to
back with the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, in order to take decisions
designed to administer the Convention.

In 2009, the Vienna Convention became the first Convention of any kind to
achieve universal ratification.

1.1 MONTREAL PROTOCOL:

This protocol was designed to reduce the production and consumption of

ozone depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in the
atmosphere, and thereby protect the earths fragile ozone Layer.

The original Montreal Protocol was agreed on 16 September 1987 and

entered into force on 1 January 1989. Followed by a first meeting in
Helsinki, May 1989.

It legally enforces the phase -out of the production and use of ozone depleting
substances - chemicals often used in refrigeration, air-conditioning, foam
manufacturing, aerosol production, and fire extinguishing.

Protocol stipulates that the production and consumption of compounds that

deplete ozone in the stratosphere--chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons,
carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform--are to be phased out by 2000
(2005 for methyl chloroform).
Source: http://www.theozonehole.com/

A Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol:

It was established in 1991 to assist developing countries meet their
Montreal Protocol commitments.
Multilateral Fund was established by a decision of the Second Meeting of

the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (London, June 1990) and began its
operation in 1991.
The main objective of the Fund is to assist developing country parties to
the Montreal Protocol whose annual level of consumption of the ozone
depleting substances (ODS) chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons is less
than 0.3 kilograms per capita to comply with the control measures of the
Protocol.

Since 2010, the agenda of the Protocol has focused on the phase -out of
hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), an ozone -depleting substance mainly
used in cooling and refrigeration applications, and in the manufacture of
foam products.

2. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants:

A global treaty to protect human health and the environment from persistent
organic pollutants (POPs).

The Convention has a range of control measures to reduce and, where

feasible, eliminate the release of POPs, including emissions of
unintentionally produced POPs such as dioxins. The Convention also aims to
ensure the sound management of stockpiles and wastes that contain POPs.

POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods,
become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of
living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.

POPs circulate globally and can cause damage wherever they travel. In
implementing the Convention, Governments will take measures to eliminate
or reduce the release of POPs into the environment.

Convention came into force on 17 May 2004.

12 POPs listed in annexes to the Convention in 2004 are:

Aldrin
Chlordane
Dieldrin
Endrin
Heptachlor
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)
Mirex
Toxaphene
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)
Dioxins
Furans
In 2010, nine additional POPs were added to the Convention. They are:
Chlordecone
Lindane
Hexabromobiphenyl
Pentachlorobenzene
Alpha hexachlorocyclohexane

Beta hexachlorocyclohexane
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, its salts and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride
(PFOS)
Tetrabromodiphenyl ether and pentabromodiphenylether ('commercial
pentabromodiphenyl ether')
Hexabromodiphenyl ether and heptabromodiphenyl ether ('commercial
octabromdiphenyl ether)

Convention has five essential aims:

Eliminate dangerous POPs, starting with the 12 worst
Support the transition to safer alternatives
Target additional POPs for action
Cleanup old stockpiles and equipment containing POPs
Work together for a POPs-free future

3. Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for

Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade:

It is an international treaty designed to facilitate informed decision-making

by countries with regard to trade in hazardous chemicals.

It establishes a list of covered chemicals and requires parties seeking to

export a chemical on that list to first establish that the intended importing
country has consented to the import.

It also requires that a party seeking to export a chemical that is not listed
under the Convention, but is subject to a ban or severe restriction in its own
territory, must provide notice to the importing country of the proposed
export.

Convention entered into force on February 24, 2004.

Rotterdam Convention applies to industrial chemicals and pesticides that

meet the criteria for listing under the Convention, generally because they
have been banned or severely restricted in party countries or are severely
hazardous pesticide formulations.

Major Objective of Convention are :

Promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the
international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human
health and the environment from potential harm.
Contribute to the environmentally sound use of those hazardous
chemicals, by facilitating information exchange about their characteristics,
by providing for a national decision-making process on their import and
export and by disseminating these decisions to Parties.

4. Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of

Hazardous W astes and Their Disposal:

The Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of

Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the
Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public
outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the
developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad.

The basic purposes of the Convention are to ensure that states have the full
ability to protect their own environment and to enable them to not permit
actions which might have adverse effects on the environment such as a
trans boundary movement of hazardous waste.

Objective of the Basel Convention is to protect human health and the

environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. Its scope of
application covers a wide range of wastes defined as hazardous wastes
based on their origin and/or composition and their characteristics, as well
as two types of wastes defined as other wastes - household waste and
incinerator ash.

Principal aims of Convention are :

Reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of
environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, wherever the
place of disposal;
Restriction of trans boundary movements of hazardous wastes except
where it is perceived to be in accordance with the principles of
environmentally sound management; and
Regulatory system applying to cases where trans boundary movements are
permissible.

The Convention requires a prior informed consent that must be followed

before any export or import is allowed to or from another party. The
Exporting State is obliged to get the written approval of the Importing state
for such a movement to be legal under the Basel Convention. In this context,
each party has the right to ban any import or export of hazardous or other
wastes.

BAN Amendment to the Convention was adopted at the Third Conference of

the Parties in 1995 and incorporated in the text of the Convention. This
amendment bans any export of hazardous wastes from Basel Convention
Parties that are members of the EU, OECD, and Liechtenstein to all other
Parties to the Convention.

5. Convention on Biological Diversity:

This Convention was inspired by the world community's growing

commitment to sustainable development. It represents a dramatic step
forward in the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its
components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the
use of genetic resources.

The Convention was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio "Earth
Summit"). It remained open for signature until 4 June 1993, by which time
it had received 168 signatures. The Convention entered into force on 29
December 1993, which was 90 days after the 30th ratification. The first
session of the Conference of the Parties was scheduled for 28 November 9
December 1994 in the Bahamas.

The CBD was negotiated under the guidance of the United Nations.

Unlike other international agreements that set compulsory targets and

obligations, the CBD takes a flexible approach to implementation. It
identifies general goals and policies, and countries are free to determine how
they want to implement them.

COP which stands for "Conference of the Parties" is the Convention's

ultimate authority and assembles representatives of all countries having
signed the Convention (the 'Parties') as well as observers such as non-Party
countries, UN agencies, international and non-governmental organisations.

CBD has near universal membership 193 countries

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has 3 main objectives:

the conservation of biological diversity.
The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity.
The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization
of genetic resources.

The Convention also recognizes - for the first time - that the conservation of
biological diversity is "a common conce rn of humankind" and an integral part of the
development process.
5.1Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety:

Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an

international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms
(LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another.

It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the

Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September
2003.

Protocol named after the Colombian city where the final round of talks was
launched, sets

Living Modified Organism (LMO) is defined in the Cartagena Protocol on

Biosafety as any living organism that possesses a novel combination of
genetic material obtaine d through the use of modern biotechnology. In
everyday usage LMOs are usually considered to be the same as GMOs
(Genetically Modified organisms), but definitions and interpretations of the
term GMO vary widely.

Objective of the Protocol is to contribute to ensuring an adequate level of

protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling and use of LMOs
resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on the
conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into
account risks to human health, and specifically focusing on trans boundary
movements.

Protocol promotes biosafety by establishing rules and procedures for the safe
transfer, handling, and use of LMOs, with specific focus on trans boundary
movements of LMOs.

The governing body of the Protocol is the Conference of the Parties to the
Convention serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (COP-MOP).
The main function of this body is to review the implementation of the
Protocol and make decisions necessary to promote its effective operation.

Protocol does not cover:

Products derived from LMOs (e.g. paper from GM trees).
LMOs, which are pharmaceuticals for humans that are addressed by other
relevant international agreements or organizations.

Protocol assists developing countries in building their capacity for managing

modern biotechnology:
It creates an advanced informed agreement (AIA) procedure that requires
exporters to seek consent from importing countries before the first shipment
of LMOs meant to be introduced into the environment (e.g. seeds for
planting, fish for release, and microorganisms for bioremediation)
It establishes an internet-based Biosafety Clearing-House to help
countries exchange scientific, technical, environmental and legal infor mation
about LMOs.
It requires bulk shipments of LMO commodities, such as corn or soybeans
that are intended to be used as food, feed or for processing, to be
accompanied by documentation stating that such shipments may contain
LMOs and are not intended for intentional introduction into the
environment.
The Protocol includes a clause that makes clear the Parties intent that the
agreement does not alter the rights and obligations of governments under
the World Trade Organization (WTO) or other existing international
agreements.

5.2Nagoya Protocol:

The objective of this Protocol is the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
arising from the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate
access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant
technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to
technologies, and by appropriate funding, thereby contributing to the
conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its
components.

Protocol was adopted on 29 October 2010 in Nagoya, Japan.

Protocol significantly advances the Conventions third objective by providing

a strong basis for greater legal certainty and transparency for both providers
and users of genetic resources.

The Nagoya Protocol applies to genetic resources that are covered by the
CBD, and to the benefits arising from their utilization.

The Nagoya Protocol also covers traditional knowledge (TK) associated with
genetic resources that are covered by the CBD and the benefits arising from
its utilization.

Protocol covers genetic resources within national jurisdiction - with some

notable exceptions:
The Protocol does not apply to genetic resources covered by specialised
access and benefit-sharing agreements such as the International Treaty on
Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, or the framework for
pandemic preparedness of the World Health Organisation.
The Protocol does not apply to human genetic material, or to resources
that were acquired before the Protocol comes into effect.

5.2.1AICHI TARGET:

In the COP-10 meeting of Nagoya Protocol, the parties agreed that previous
biodiversity protection targets are not achieved, so they need to do come up
with new plans and targets.

It includes 20 headline targets, organized unde r five strategic goals that

address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, reduce the pressures on
biodiversity, safeguard biodiversity at all levels, enhance the benefits
provided by biodiversity, and provide for capacity-building:

A) Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by

mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society:
1) Make people are aware of the values of biodiversity
integrating biodiversity values into national and local development and poverty
reduction strategies
Elimination of harmful subsidies
implementing plans for sustainable production and consumption
B) Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote
sustainable use
Halting loss of all natural habitats, including forests Sustainable harvest of all fish
and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants Sustainable management of agriculture,
aquaculture and forestry ensuring conservation of biodiversity. Reducing Pollution
Identification and prioritization of invasive alien species and pathways minimise
the choral reflow destruction, ocean acidification
C) Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding
ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
11) Conserving terrestrial and inland water, coastal marine areas
Prevention of extinction of known threatened species
maintaining genetic diversity of agro-plants, domesticate animals and minimizing
genetic erosion
D) Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and
ecosystem services
14) Restoration of ecosystems that provide essential services, including services
related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well -being
Enhancement of ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon
stocks, through conservation and restoration, including restoration of at least 15

per cent of degraded ecosystems.

Operationalize the Nagoya protocol on genetic resources, via national legislations
E) Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning,
knowledge management and capacity building
17)Implementing an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity
strategy and action plan
Integrating the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and
local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity,
and their customary use of biological resources
Scientific and technological knowledge sharing application
mobilization of financial resources
6United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification:

It is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of

drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term
strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership
arrangements.

Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international

agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land
management.

Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid

areas, known as the dry lands, where some of the most vulnerable
ecosystems and peoples can be found

Desertification as defined in this Convention: is not the natural expansion

of existing deserts but the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry
sub-humid areas. It is a gradual process of soil productivity loss and the
thinning out of the vegetative cover because of human activities and climatic
variations such as prolonged droughts and floods. What is alarming i s that
though the land's topsoil, if mistreated, can be blown and washed away in a
few seasons, it takes centuries to build up. Among human causal factors are
over cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor irrigation practices.
Such overexploitation is generally caused by economic and social pressure,
ignorance, war, and drought.

7United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

It is an international environmental treaty that was produced at the United

Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (informally
known as the Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, June, 1992.

Convention sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle

the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate system
is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other
emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

Under the Convention, governments:

Gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national
policies and best practices

 Launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse gas emissions and

adapting to expected impacts, including the provision of financial and
technological support to developing countries
cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

The treaty as originally framed set no mandatory limits on greenhouse gas

emissions for individual nations and contained no enforcement provisions; it
is therefore considered legally non-binding. Rather, the treaty included
provisions for updates (called protocols) that would set mandatory
emission limits. The principal update is the Kyoto Protocol, which has
become much better known than the UNFCCC itself.

A key element of the UNFCCC is that parties should act to protect the
climate system on the basis of equality and in accordance with their
common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

The principle of common but differentiated responsibility includes two

fundamental elements.
The first is the common responsibility of Parties to protect the
environment, or parts of it, at the national, regional and global levels.
The second is the need to take into account the different circumstances,
particularly each Partys contribution to the problem and its ability to
prevent, reduce and control the threat.

UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near -universal
membership. The 195 countries that have ratified the Convention are called
Parties to the Convention.

UNFCCC is a Rio Convention, one of three adopted at the Rio Earth

Summit in 1992. Its sister Rio Conventions are the UN Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD)

7.1KYOTO PROTOCOL:

It is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting
internationally binding emission reduction targets.

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and
entered into force on 16 February 2005

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the

current high levels of Green House Gas emissions in the atmosphere as a
result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Protocol places a
heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of "common but
differentiated responsibilities."

Targets for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol cover emissions
of the six main greenhouse gases, namely:
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Methane(CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

 Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

Convention divides countries into three main groups according to differing

commitments:

Annex I Parties include the industrialized countries that were members of the
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) in 1992, plus
countries with economies in transition (the EIT Parties), including the Russian
Federation, the Baltic States, and several Central and Eastern European States.
Annex II Parties consist of the OECD members of Annex I, but not the EIT Parties.
They are required to provide financial resources to enable developing countries to
undertake emissions reduction activities under the Convention and to help the m
adapt to adverse effects of climate change. In addition, they have to "take all
practicable steps" to promote the development and transfer of environmentally
friendly technologies to EIT Parties and developing countries. Funding provided by
Annex II Parties is channelled mostly through the Conventions financial
mechanism.
Non-Annex I Parties are mostly developing countries. Certain groups of developing
countries are recognized by the Convention as being especially vulnerable to the
adverse impacts of climate change, including countries with low-lying coastal areas
and those prone to desertification and drought. Others (such as countries that rely
heavily on income from fossil fuel production and commerce) feel more vulnerable
to the potential economic impacts of climate change response measures. The
Convention emphasizes activities that promise to answer the special needs and
concerns of these vulnerable countries, such as investment, insurance and
technology transfer.
The 49 Parties classified as least developed countries (LDCs) by the United Nations
are given special consideration under the Convention on account of their limited
capacity to respond to climate change and adapt to its adverse effects. Parties are
urged to take full account of the special situation of LDCs when considering
funding and technology-transfer activities.
7.1.1KYOTO MECHANISM: There are three mechanisms that serve to help
developed countries achieve their Kyoto emission reduction targets by lowering the
costs of reduction. The so-called Kyoto mechanisms or flexible mechanisms enable
developed countries to meet part of their emission reduction commitments abroad.
The Kyoto mechanisms:

Stimulate sustainable development through technology transfer and

investment.

Help countries with Kyoto commitments to meet their targets by reducing

emissions or removing carbon from the atmosphere in other countries in a
cost-effective way.

Encourage the private sector and developing countries to contribute to

emission reduction efforts

Eligibility requirements: To participate in the mechanisms, Annex I Parties must

meet, among others, the following eligibility requirements:

They must have ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

They must have calculated their assigned amount, as referred to in Articles

3.7 and 3.8 and Annex B of the Protocol in terms of tonnes of CO2equivalent emissions.

They must have in place a national system for estimating emissions and
removals of greenhouse gases within their territory.

They must have in place a national registry to record and track the creation
and movement of Emission Reduction Units, Certified Emission Reductions,
Assigned amount units and Removal Units (RMU) s and must annually
report such information to the secretariat.

They must annually report information on emissions and removals to the

secretariat.

Mechanism:
1) Emission Trading (ET):

Emissions trading allow trade in emissions units between developed

countries.

Each country is assigned a certain amount of emissions units. The volume of

emissions units allocated to each country is such that a country uses up its
entire allocation if it precisely complies with its national emission reduction
target. If a country achieves a greater reduction than called for in the Kyoto
Protocol, it can sell excess emissions units in the form of licences to another
country that has not succeeded in reaching its reduction target. The
purchasing country can credit these licences to its own emission reduction.
The licences are sold internationally to the highest bidder - in other words,
the market determines the price.

2) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM):

CDM allows emission-reduction (or emission removal) projects in developing

countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER) credits, each equivalent
to one tonne of CO2. These CERs can be traded and sold, and used by
industrialized countries to meet a part of their emission reduction targets
under the Kyoto Protocol.

It is carried out in a similar way to joint implementation; the main

difference, however, is that CDM projects are jointly carried out by a
developed country with a reduction commitment and a developing country
without a reduction commitment.

With CDM, a developed country carries out an emissions-saving climate

protection project in a developing country, and these saved units - certified
emission reductions - can be credited to the develope d country's account.

CDM serves to assist developing countries, through technology transfer, in

establishing a climate-friendly economy.

Specific conditions of the CDM were laid down in the Marrakesh Accords.
According to these, all CDM projects have to be reviewed and approved in
advance.

3) Joint implementation (JI):

In this Projects carried out jointly by two developed countries that have both
committed to an emission reduction target under the Kyoto Protocol fall
within the scope of joint implementation.

If a developed country carries out or finances a climate protection project in

another developed country, it can credit the resulting emission reductions in
the form of emission reduction units to its reduction target.

The recipient country of course cannot credit these units. Joint

implementation projects can contribute to emission reductions first being
achieved where it is cheapest.

7.1.2Doha Climate Change Conference (2012):

The 18th session of the COP to the UNFCCC, that started on 26 November
and concluded on 8 December 2012 in Doha, Qatar has resulted in a set of
decisions (clubbed together as 'Doha Climate Gateway') aimed at advancing
the implementation of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol (KP).

Key issues for the Doha conference were:

Amending the KP to implement the second commitment period under the
Protocol
successfully concluding the work of the Bali Action Plan (BAP) within
which there was urgent need for a clear path to climate finance
planning the work under the Durban Platform (DP) for enhanced action.

Key Doha Outcome:

It has been agreed that the Kyoto Protocol (KP), as the only existing and
binding agreement under which developed countries commit to cutting
emissions of GHGs, will enter a second commitment period that will run for
eight years.
Governments have agreed to speedily work toward a climate change
agreement under Doha Protocol (DP) applicable to all countries from 2020,
to be adopted by 2015. Further governments have decided to find ways to
scale up efforts before 2020 to meet the gap in global ambition for emissions
reduction.
Governments have launched a robust process to review the long-term
temperature goal. This will start in 2013 and conclude by 2015 and is a
reality check on the advance of the climate change threat and the possible
need to mobilize further action.
The Work Programme on Long term Finance launched in 2011 has been
extended for another year to contribute to the ongoing efforts to scale up
mobilization of climate finance. Developed countries have re iterated their
commitment to deliver on promises of mobilizing US$100 billion both for
adaptation and mitigation by 2020.
Decision also encourages developed countries to increase efforts for
providing finance between 2013 and 2015, and at least to the average

annual level provided during the 2010-2012 fast-start finance period.

Finance pledges of about $ 6 billion for period up to 2015 announced by
Germany, the UK, France, Denmark, Sweden and the EU Commission.
The selection of the Republic of Korea by the Board of the Green Climate
Fund (GCF) to host the GCF has been endorsed.
The unresolved issues of Technology-related Intellectual Property Rights
(IPRs) and the Unilateral Measures under the Bali Action Plan (BAP) are now
part of the planned or continuing work of various bodies of the Convention.
Based on the decisions, the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) will
initiate exploration of issues relating to enabling environments and barriers,
including IPRs in its future work-plan. The TEC has already identified IPRs
as one of the key messages on which further work is necessary. Similarly, a
decision has been taken for facilitating discussion on the issue of unilateral
measures under the existing forum on implementation of response
measures.
7.1.3W arsaw Outcome:

The Warsaw Climate Change Conference held in November 2013

Key decisions adopted at this conference include decisions on further

advancing the Durban Platform, the Green Climate Fund and Long-Term
Finance

Delegates to COP19 agreed that all nations should work to cut emissions
from burning coal, oil and gas as soon as possible, and ideally by the first
quarter of 2015.

Warsaw Framework for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and

Forest Degradation in Developing Countries): COP approved to provide a
formal framework, safeguards, and funding in hopes of cutting deforestation
in half by 2020 and halting it by 2030.

8Bonn Convention:

It is Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Ani mals

(CMS)

Adopted in 1979 and entered in to force in 1983

This Convention aims to build and strengthen global conservation efforts for
migratory species in the air, on land, and in the seas

It is an international and intergovernmental treaty backed by the United

Nations Environmental Programme.

The Convention divides species into two appendices,

Appendix I, lists species that are threatened with extinction and
Appendix II, species that need or would benefit greatly from international
cooperative conservation efforts.

migratory species as defined in Convention means the entire population or

any geographically separate part of the population of any species or lower
taxon of wild animals a significant proportion of whose members cyclically
and predictably cross one or more national jurisdictional boundaries

9Barcelona Convention:

It is Convention for Protection against Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea

It is a regional convention to prevent and abate pollution from ships, aircraft

and land based sources in the Mediterranean Sea.

Convention was Adopted in 1976and entered into force in 1978

In 1995 the Protocol was amended and recorded as the Protocol for the
Prevention and Elimination of Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea by
Dumping from Ships and Aircraft or Incineration at Sea. The new Protocol is
not yet in force.

The Convention's main objectives are:

Assess and control marine pollution
Ensuring sustainable management of natural marine and coastal
resources;
Integrate the environment in social and economic development;
Protect the marine environment and coastal zones through prevention and
reduction of pollution, and as far as possible, elimination of pollution,
whether land or sea-based;
Protect the natural and cultural heritage;
Strengthen solidarity among Mediterranean coastal States;
Contribute to improvement of the quality of life.

10Ramsar Convention:

It is Convention on Wetlands of International Importance

Convention provides the framework for national action and international

cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their
resources.

The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals
with a particular ecosystem. The treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of
Ramsar in 1971 and the Convention's member countries cover all geographic
regions of the planet.

Ramsar is not affiliated with the United Nations system of Multilateral

Environmental Agreements

Convention's mission is "the conservation and wise use of all wetlands

through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a
contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the
world".

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was developed as a means to call

international attention to the rate at which wetland habitats were
disappearing, in part due to a lack of understanding of their important
functions, values, goods and services. Governments that join the Convention
are expressing their willingness to make a commitment to helping to reverse
that history of wetland loss and degradation

Monteux Record under Ramsar List is a register of wetland sites on the List
of Wetlands of International Importance where changes in ecological
character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of
technological developments, pollution or other human interference. So, it is
maintained as part of the Ramsar List.

Ramsar Convention works closely with five other organisations known as

International Organization Partners (IOPs). These are Birdlife International,
the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International
Water Management Institute (IWMI), Wetlands International and WWF
International. These support the work of the Convention by providing expert
technical advice, helping implement field studies and providing financial
support

Obligations under the convention:

To recommend sites for inclusion in the List of Wetlands of International
Importance.
To ensure wise use of wetlands.
To establish reserves and promote training in wetland research,
management.

11. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of W ild Fauna

and Flora (CITES):

It is an international agreement between governments aimed to ensure that

international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants do not threaten
their survival.

Convention entered into force in 1975

CITES establishes a system of trade controls that vary in their

restrictiveness, depending upon the degree of jeopardy each species
faces. The trade controls imposed by CITES apply only to the species listed
on three Appendices to the Treaty.
Appendix I of the Treaty receives the most protection; they cannot be
imported or exported for primarily commercial purposes. To be traded for
other purposes, such as zoological or scientific imports, a specimen of any
species listed in Appendix I must be accompanied by an export permit from
the exporting country and an import permit from the importing country.
Species on Appendix II of CITES, which are the vast majority of all species
protected by the Treaty, can be traded for both commercial and noncommercial purposes. However, they must be accompanied by an export
permit, which may be issued only upon the finding that the export of the
specimens concerned will not be detrimental to the survival of the species.
This requirement allows countries to control trade in those species listed on
Appendix II.
Member countries may unilaterally list species on Appendix III that are
protected within the countries' borders. The purpose of Appendix III is to
obtain international cooperation in the enforcement of national conservation
laws. Countries importing specimens of a species listed on Appendix III-from the country responsible for including the species on the Appendix--

must insist upon presentation of a permit showing that the specimens were
lawfully acquired and exported from that country.
CITES is an international agreement to which States (countries) adhere voluntarily.
States that have agreed to be bound by the Convention ('joined' CITES) are known
as Parties. Although CITES is legally binding on the Parties in other words they
have to implement the Convention it does not take the place of national laws.
Rather it provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt
its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national
level.
12. Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of W astes
and Other Matter:

Convention was adopted on 29 December 1972 in London

Convention contributes to the international control and prevention of marine

pollution by prohibiting the dumping of certain hazardous materials. In
addition, a special permit is required prior to dumping of a number of other
identified materials and a general permit for other wastes or matter

Dumping has been defined as the deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or

other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures,
as well as the deliberate disposal of these vessels or platforms themselves.

In 1996, the "London Protocol" was agreed to further modernize the

Convention and, eventually, replace it.

Protocol, which is meant to eventually replace the 1972 Convention,

represents a major change of approach to the question of how to regulate the
use of the sea as a depository for waste materials. Rather than stating which
materials may not be dumped, it prohibits all dumping, except for possibly
acceptable wastes on the so-called "reverse list", contained in an annex to
the Protocol.

London Protocol stresses the precautionary approach, which requires that

appropriate preventative measures are taken when there is reason to believe
that wastes or other matter introduced into the marine environment are
likely to cause harm even when there is no conclusive evidence to prove a
causal relation between inputs and their effects.

It also states that "the polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of
pollution" and emphasizes that Contracting Parties should ensure that the
Protocol should not simply result in pollution being transferred from one
part of the environment to another.

The objective of the London Convention and Protocol is to promote the

effective control of all source s of marine pollution. Contracting Parties shall
take effective measures to prevent pollution of the marine environment
caused by dumping at sea.

13. Minamata Convention:

Major highlights of the Minamata Convention on Mercury include a ban on

new mercury mines, the phase -out of existing ones, control measures on air

emissions, and the international regulation of the informal sector for

artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

Use of mercury in coal-fired power plants, small and artisanal gold mines
and cement production has to be reduced. Countries with small and
artisanal gold mines will have to devise strategies to reduce the use of
mercury in gold production in three years

The use of mercury in products like batteries, CFLs, soaps, cosmetics and
medical appliances like thermometer will be phased out by 2020

Convention was adopted and opened for signature on 10 October 2013

Convention is named after the Japanese city of Minamata, which

experienced a severe, decades-long incidence of mercury poisoning after
industrial wastewater from a chemical factory was discharged into Minamata
Bay.

Preamble of the treaty stipulates parties to the convention recognise the

substantial lessons of Minamata Disease, in particular the serious health
and environmental effects resulting from mercury pollution, and the need to
ensure proper management of mercury and the prevention of such events in
the future.

Specific goals include:

A phase-out date of 2020 for products made from mercury
The preparation and implementation of national plans to control and
reduce mercury emissions and releases
The end to all mercury mining
The prohibition of mercury trade
Environmentally-safe management of mercury waste
Information-sharing, capacity-building projects, technical assistance for
developing country

14. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

(Marpol):

International convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine

environment by ships from operational or accidental causes.

MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973 at International

Maritime Organisation. The Protocol of 1978 was adopted in response to a
spate of tanker accidents in 1976-1977. As the 1973 MARPOL Convention
had not yet entered into force, the 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the
parent Convention.

All ships flagged under countries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject
to its requirements, regardless of where they sail and member nations are
responsible for vessels registered under their respective nationalities.

The convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimising

pollution at sea from ships, and this includes both accidental pollution and
pollution from routine operations. At current date MARPOL 73/78 consist of
6 technical annexes:

Regulations for the prevention of pollution by oil.

Regulations for the control of pollution by noxious liquid substances in bulk.
Prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried by sea in packaged
form.
Prevention of pollution by sewage from ships.
Prevention of pollution by garbage from ships
Prevention of air pollution from ships.
15. Benzene Convention:

Convention was created by the International Labour Organization.

Its objective is to protect workers who are exposed during the course of their
work to C6H6, also known as Benzene, a recognized carcinogen.

It was adopted in 1971 and entered into force in 1973.

16. International Convention for the Regulation of W haling (ICRW):

Convention provides for the "proper conservation of whale stocks and thus
make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry."

It aims to promote the recovery of depleted whale populations by addressing

issues such as ship strikes, entanglement events, environmental concerns
and establishing protocols for whale watching.

The Convention was signed in 1946 and entered into force in 1948.