GLOBAL LEVEL

UNEP-sponsored Multilateral Environmental Agreements

• 1979 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS - Bonn Convention)
• 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
• 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and 1999 Basel Protocol on Liability and Compensation for Damage resulting from Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
• 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB) and 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
• 1998 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PICs)
• 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

UNEP provided technical assistance to the development of:

• 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the related Tokyo Protocol, negotiated following the establishment of UNEP and WMO of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1997
• 1994 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD)

REGIONAL LEVEL:

UNEP has actively supported governments and regional organizations in the development of environmental law at a regional level through the provision of technical legal assistance as well as legal advice and support to intergovernmental meetings in the context of developing regional environmental agreements. Areas of focus at the regional level include:

• Regional Seas Programme
• Shared Water Resources
• Biodiversity
• Atmosphere
• Hazardous Waste

Regional Seas Programme
This programme focuses on the protection of the oceans and seas, including enclosed and semi-enclosed seas and coastal areas and the protection, rational use and development of their living resources. It is also a catalyst for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The revitalising of the Regional Seas programme is a current priority. Under this programme, a variety of agreements have been concluded:

Black Sea:

• 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, the Bucharest Convention
• 1992 Protocol on Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment against Pollution from Land-Based Sources
• 1992 Protocol on Cooperation in Combating Pollution of the Black Sea Marine Environment by Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Emergency Situations
• 1992 Protocol on the Protection of the Black Sea Marine Environment against Pollution by Dumping

Eastern Africa:

• 1985 Convention for the Protection Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region, the Nairobi Convention
• 1985 Protocol Concerning Protected Areas and Wild Fauna and Flora in the Eastern African Region
• 1985 Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Marine Pollution in Cases of Emergency in the Eastern African Region

Kuwait region:

• 1978 Kuwait Regional Convention for Co-operation on the Protection of the Marine Environment from Pollution, the Kuwait Convention
• 1978 Protocol Concerning Regional Co-Operation in Combating Pollution by Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency
• 1989 Protocol Concerning Marine Pollution Resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental Shelf
• 1990 Protocol for the Protection of the Marine Environment Against Pollution from Land-Based Sources
• 1998 Protocol on the Control of Marine Transboundary Movements and Disposal of Hazardous Wastes, Tehran

Mediterranean:

• 1976 Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, the Barcelona Convention
• 1976 Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft
• 1978 Protocol Concerning Regional Co-Operation in Combating Pollution by Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency
• 1980 Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-Based Sources, Athens
• 1982 Protocol Concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas, Geneva
• 1994 Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution resulting from Exploration and Exploitation of the Continental Shelf and the Seabed and its Subsoil, Madrid
• 1995 Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, Barcelona
• 1996 Protocol on the Prevention of Pollution of the Mediterranean Sea by Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Izmir

North-East Pacific:

• 2002 The Convention for Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northeast Pacific, Antigua Convention

Red Sea and Gulf of Aden:

• 1982 Regional Convention for the Conservation of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Environment, the Jeddah Convention
• 1982 Protocol Concerning Regional Co-operation in Combating Pollution by Oil and Other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency, Jeddah

South-East Pacific:

• 1981 Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and Coastal Area of the South-East Pacific, the Lima Convention
• 1981 Agreement on Regional Co-operation in Combating Pollution of the South-East Pacific by Hydrocarbons or Other Harmful Substances in Cases of Emergency, Lima
• 1983 Supplementary Protocol to the Agreement on Regional Co-operation in Combating Pollution of the South-East Pacific by Hydrocarbons or Other Harmful Substances, Quito
• 1983 Protocol for the Protection of the South-East Pacific Against Pollution from Land-based Sources, Quito
• 1989 Protocol for the Conservation and Management Of Protected Marine and Coastal Areas of the South-East Pacific, Paipa
• 1989 Protocol for the Protection of the South-East Pacific Against Radioactive Contamination, Paipa
• 1992 Protocol on the Programme for the Regional Study on the El Nino Phenomenon (ERFEN) in the Southeast Pacific

South Pacific:

• 1986 Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region, the Noumea Convention
• 1986 Protocol for the Prevention of Pollution of the South Pacific Region by Dumping, Noumea
• 1986 Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Pollution Emergencies in the South Pacific Region, Noumea

West and Central Africa:

• 1984 Convention for Co-operation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the West and Central African Region, the Abidjan Convention
• 1984 Protocol Concerning Cooperation in Combating Pollution in Cases of Emergency, Abidjan

Wider Caribbean:

• 1983 Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, the Cartagena Convention
• 1983 Protocol Concerning Co-operation in Combating Oil Spills in the Wider Caribbean Region, Cartagena
• 1990 Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife to the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region, Kingston (SPAW)
• 1999 Protocol Concerning Pollution from Land-Based Sources and Activities to the 1983 Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean, Oranjestad (Aruba)

Partner programmes:

• 1992 Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, the Helsinki Convention
• 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft, & 1974 Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources, the Oslo and Paris conventions respectively – revised and combined into the 1992 Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic, the OSPAR Convention

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Shared Water Resources

• Environmentally Sound Management of Inland Waters (EMINWA);
• 1987 Agreement on the Action Plan for the Environmentally Sound Management of the Common Zambezi River System, Harare (ZACPLAN);
• 1995 Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Johannesburg
• 1995 Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, Chiang Rai
• Rules for the Environmental Management of the Victoria Basin and the Lake Tanganyika Basin

Biodiversity

• 1994 Lusaka Agreement on Co-Operative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora, Lusaka;
• 1995 Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA); 1992 Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS);
• 1996 Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area, Monaco (ACCOBAMS)
• Revision of 1968 Algiers Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (adopted in 2003 subject to ratification)

Atmosphere

• Hosting and supporting the Latin America and Caribbean regional coordination of the network of ozone-depleting substance offices;
• Development of a legal framework for the prevention of transboundary haze/pollution for the association of South East Asian nations (ASEAN) countries (2002 ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution)

Hazardous Waste

• 1991 Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa

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