When a Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) is negotiated and adopted at the international level, it is received by Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry then sends a copy of it to the Ministry in charge of the environment. The competent authority within the Ministry in charge of the environment issues its opinion on the importance of the objectives of the MEA with respect to the national environmental policy.
If the MEA is considered to be in the best interests of the State, then the Ministry in charge of the environment prepares, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a communication to the Council of Ministers co-signed by the two Ministers that informs the Government of the need to become party to the MEA.
The Government then introduces to the National Assembly a bill authorising the President of the Republic to commit the State to the MEA. If the National Assembly approves the Law of authorisation, the President issues a decree binding the Ivory Coast to the MEA.
Note: This procedure applies to MEAs regardless of whether or not the Ivory Coast participated in the negotiations.
For more information, contact Mr. Théodore Dah at the Ivory Coast’s Department of United Nations and Specialized Institutions (tel.: +225-20325021).