Guidance materials, such as model legislation implementing MEAs, can be extremely helpful in compliance efforts, particularly when they are developed jointly by a number of Parties. Although such materials will probably have to be tailored somewhat to fit each State’s individual needs, they can provide an extremely useful foundation for national efforts. As the checklist below indicates, developing national legislation is a process requiring several steps, but consulting guidance documents and model legislation can be an important part of the process, as well as a time-saving exercise.
There are numerous guidelines that have been developed by MEA Secretariats and independent bodies (including NGOs) to facilitate implementation of various MEAs. Following is a partial list of some of the guidelines, model laws, and other guidance for some MEAs.
For the Basel Convention:
For CITES: