International Conventions and Organizations

International Conventions and Organizations [pdf]

9.1 International Conventions

9.1.1 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) is also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference or Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

The issues addressed included:

1. Systematic scrutiny of patterns of production- primarily the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous wastes including radioactive chemicals.
2. Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change.
3. New reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and health problems caused by polluted air and smog.
4. The growing scarcity of water.

9.1.1.1 UNFCCC

 UN Summit Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) or Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 adopted, by consensus, the first multilateral legal instrument on Climate Change, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or the UNFCCC.

UNFCCC provides a framework for negotiation of specific international treaties (called “protocols”) that aim to set binding limit on emission of Green House Gases (GHGs). As of March 2019, UNFCCC has 197 parties.

 9.1.1.2 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

 CBD is an international legally binding convention which recognized for the first time, the need for conservation of biological diversity for the welfare of humankind. The agreement covers all ecosystems, species as well as genetic resources.

Objectives of the Convention include:

1. Conservation of biological diversity
2. Sustainable use of its components
3. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits

In the 10^th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) held in 2010, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, “Aichi Biodiversity Targets” were adopted for the period 2011-20.

Picture Credits: hpbiodiversity.gov.in

9.1.1.3 UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification)

 Established in 1994, UNCCD is the sole legally binding international agreement which links environment and development to sustainable land management. UNCCD is one of the Rio Convention that focusses on desertification, land degradation and drought (DLDD) in regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America and Caribbean.

Desertification is a type of land degradation in which the biological productivity of land is lost due to natural processes or by induced human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. UNCCD launched Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) to conserve, sustainably manage and restore land

9.1.2 Ramsar Convention

Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation through ecosystem approach and simultaneous sustainable use of wetlands and their resources. However, it is to be noted that under Ramsar Convention, there is no binding provision related to conservation of wetlands.

It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 but came into force in 1975. It is the only global environmental treaty dealing with a particular ecosystem. Ramsar is however not affiliated with the United Nations System, but it works very closely with it.

Parties to the Ramsar Convention commit to:

1. Working towards the “wise use” of wetlands
2. Identifying suitable wetlands to be listed under Wetlands of International Importance (the “Ramsar List”) and ensure their effective management
3. Ensuring international cooperation on transboundary wetlands, shared wetlands and shared species

Montreux Record is maintained as a part of the Ramsar List. It is a register of wetlands of international importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or are likely to occur as a result of human interference. Loktak lake, Manipur and Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan are the two Montreux Record sites in India

9.1.3 CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species)

 CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention, aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty concluded under the aegis of UNEP, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.

CMS is the only global Convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes.

9.1.4 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna)

CITES is an international agreement between governments entered into force in 1975, and became the only treaty to ensure that international trade in plants and animals does not threaten their survival in the wild. It is legally binding on states that have joined it.

CITES is administered through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). A Secretariat located in Geneva, Switzerland oversees the implementation of the treaty.

Appendices of CITES

9.1.5 Vienna Convention

Vienna Convention was adopted in the year 1985 and entered into force in 1988. It acts as a framework for international efforts to protect the ozone layer. However, it does not include legally binding goals for the use of CFCs. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer are dedicated to the protection the earth’s ozone layer.

With 197 parties, they are the first and only global environmental treaties to achieve universal ratification.

MoEFCC established an Ozone Cell and a Steering Committee on the Montreal Protocol to facilitate implementation of the Indian Country Programme for phasing out ODS (ozone depleting substances) production by 2010.

9.1.6 Minamata Convention

 The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and its compounds. It was agreed in the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Geneva, Switzerland and entered into force on August 2017.

Controlling the anthropogenic release of mercury throughout its lifecycle is one of the key obligations under the Convention. The Convention also addresses the interim storage of mercury and its disposal once it becomes a waste, sites contaminated with mercury as well as health issues.

More than 140 countries including India have ratified the Convention.

9.1.7 Rotterdam Convention

 It was adopted in September 1998 and came into force in 2004. The Convention is jointly administered by UNEP and FAO.

It creates legally binding obligation for the implementation of Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.

Objectives of the Convention are:

1. To 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
2. To contribute to environmentally sound use of these 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.

The Convention covers pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by parties and which have been notified by parties for inclusion in Annex III for the purpose of PIC procedure.

9.1.8 Basel Convention

 The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in 1989 and came into force in 1992. The objective of the 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.

The guiding principle of the Convention are that transboundary movements of hazardous wastes should be:

1. Reduced to a minimum
2. Minimized at the source
3. Managed in an environmentally sound manner
4. Treated and disposed of as close as possible to their source of generation

The regulatory system is the cornerstone of the Basel Convention. Based on the concept of Prior Informed Consent (PIC), it requires that, before an export may take place, the authorities of the State of export notify the authorities of the prospective State of import and transit, providing them with detailed information on the intended movement. The movement may only proceed when all States concerned have given their written consent.

9.1.9 Stockholm Convention

 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was adopted in May 2001 and entered into force in 2004. It is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals (POP) that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in fatty tissues of humans and animals and have harmful impact on human health or environment.

It calls for international action on three categories of POPs: pesticides, industrial chemicals and unintentionally produced POPs.

1. POPs under Annex A of the Convention are to be eliminated.
2. POPs under Annex B of the Convention are to be restricted.
3. Unintentionally produced POPs under Annex C of the Convention are to be restricted or eliminated.

The Convention requires parties to prevent the development of new POPs and promote best available techniques (BAT) and best environmental practices (BEP) for replacing existing POPs.

The Convention initially addressed 12 POPs (also known as “the dirty dozen”), but as of now, 30 chemicals of global concern are listed under it.

9.2 International Organizations 

9.2.1 TRAFFIC

 TRAFFIC is a wildlife trade monitoring network established in 1976 by WWF and IUCN. It was established principally as a response to the entry into force during the previous year of the CITES.

TRAFFIC serves as an international network, consisting of TRAFFIC International, based in Cambridge, UK with offices in five continents.

TRAFFIC undertakes its activities in close collaboration with governments and CITES.

9.2.2 International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)

 It is an intergovernmental organization under the UN, promoting the conservation and sustainable management, use and trade of tropical forest resources. Its members represent about 80% of the world’s tropical forests and 90% of the global tropical timber trade.

9.2.3 IUCN

 IUCN was founded in 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (IUPN). The organization changed its name to IUCN in 1956 with its headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.

“Just world that values and conserves nature” is the vision of IUCN. Its members include both states and non-governmental organizations.

9.2.4 Global Tiger Forum (GTF)

 GTF is an intergovernmental organization and international body working exclusively for the conservation of tigers in the wild. Members from willing countries embark on a worldwide campaign and develop common approach to save the remaining five sub-species of tigers in the wild distributed over 14 tiger range countries of the world.

The GTF was formed in 1994 with its secretariat at New Delhi. It is the only intergovernmental and international body campaigning to save tigers worldwide. The General Assembly of the GTF meets once in three years.

9.2.5 International Whaling Commission (IWC)

 International Whaling Commission is the global intergovernmental body which works towards the conservation of whales and the management of whaling. IWC’s headquarters are located in Cambridge, UK and India is a member.

It was established under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling signed in Washington DC in 1946.  The Commission introduced zero catch limits for commercial whaling in 1986. Japan recently pulled out of the IWC.

9.3 Other Global Initiatives