List of International Environmental Conventions & Protocols

This article provides a list of significant environmental conventions and protocols that are frequently asked in the environment section of the UPSC examination. Familiarity with these agreements is crucial for candidates preparing for the Environment & Ecology section of UPSC Mains GS III and all other competitive exams.

Important International Environmental Agreements

A Brief Guide to Environmental Conventions

Ramsar Convention

• The Ramsar Convention, also known as the Convention on Wetlands, is an international treaty focused on protecting and sustainably utilizing wetlands of global significance.

• The primary goal of the convention is to conserve wetlands, particularly as habitats for waterfowl.

• Wetlands that meet the criteria are designated as Ramsar sites.

• The Ramsar Convention was signed in 1971 in the city of Ramsar, Iran.

Stockholm Convention

• The Stockholm Convention is an international environmental treaty signed on 22 May 2001 in Stockholm.

• It came into effect on 17 May 2004.

• The objective of the convention is to restrict or eliminate the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

• The primary aim is to safeguard the environment from the harmful effects of these pollutants.

CITES

• CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is a treaty designed to protect endangered plants and animals from the impacts of international trade.

• The convention originated from a resolution passed in 1963 during a meeting of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

• CITES was signed in 1973 and came into effect on 1 July 1975.

• It is also known as the Washington Convention.

Convention on Biological Diversity

• The Biodiversity Convention, formally known as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), is a multinational agreement with three primary aims:
  • To protect biological diversity (biodiversity).
  • To promote the sustainable utilization of its elements.
  • To ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.

• The Convention aims to establish national plans for safeguarding and sustainably utilizing biological diversity.

• It is considered a crucial document for sustainable development.

Bonn Convention

• The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, commonly known as the CMS or Bonn Convention, is a global treaty aimed at protecting migratory species across their habitats.

• The Convention was signed with the support of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

• It is focused on preserving wildlife and ecosystems worldwide.

Vienna Convention

• The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) is a global treaty that governs the relationships between states and their treaties.

• Commonly referred to as the “treaty on treaties,” it establishes comprehensive regulations, procedures, and guidelines for defining, drafting, amending, interpreting, and generally operating treaties.

• An international treaty is a written agreement between international law subjects that reflects their consent to create, modify, or terminate their rights and obligations.

• The VCLT is regarded as a codification of customary international law and state practice concerning treaties.

Montreal Protocol

• The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty aimed at safeguarding the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances that cause ozone depletion.

• It was agreed upon on September 16, 1987, and became effective on January 1, 1989.

• Since its inception, the Montreal Protocol has undergone nine revisions held in the following cities:
  • London (1990)
  • Nairobi (1991)
  • Copenhagen (1992)
  • Bangkok (1993)
  • Vienna (1995)
  • Montreal (1997)
  • Australia (1998)
  • Beijing (1999)
  • Kigali (2016)

• The agreement has contributed to the gradual recovery of the ozone hole in Antarctica.

Kyoto Protocol

• The Kyoto Protocol, an extension of the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is an international treaty that obliges state parties to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions based on the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring due to human-made CO2 emissions.

• The protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan on December 11, 1997, and became effective on February 16, 2005.

• As of 2020, there were 192 parties to the protocol, with Canada having withdrawn from the protocol in December 2012.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) is a global environmental treaty aimed at preventing “dangerous human interference with the climate system” by stabilizing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations.

• It was signed by 154 states during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992.

• The convention’s original secretariat was based in Geneva, but it moved to Bonn in 1996.

• The UNFCCC officially came into force on March 21, 1994.

Rio Summit

• The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992.

• It was convened as a response to the need for member states to cooperate internationally on development issues following the end of the Cold War.

• Due to the enormity of sustainability issues that individual member states were unable to tackle alone, the Earth Summit provided a platform for collaboration among member states.

• Since its inception, many other organizations in the field of sustainability have undergone similar developments to the issues discussed in these conferences, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

UNCCD

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is an international treaty aimed at preventing and reversing desertification and mitigating the effects of drought, particularly in Africa.

• It promotes the development of long-term strategies and national action programs, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.

Basel Convention

• The Basel Convention, also known as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, is an international agreement aimed at reducing the transfer of hazardous waste between countries, particularly from developed to developing nations.

• The treaty does not cover the movement of radioactive waste.

• Its objectives include:
  • Minimizing the amount and danger of waste produced.
  • Ensuring that hazardous waste is managed as close to its source as possible in an environmentally sound manner.
  • Supporting developing nations in managing their hazardous and other wastes in an environmentally sound manner.

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty addressing biosafety concerns related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology.

• It supplements the Convention on Biological Diversity and has been effective since 2003.

• Its primary objective is to safeguard biological diversity from the potential risks posed by genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

UN-REDD

• The UN-REDD Programme, which stands for United Nations Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, is a collaborative effort among the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

• It was established in 2008 following decisions made by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on the Bali Action Plan and REDD at COP-13.

• It is important to note that the UN-REDD Programme is separate from REDD+, a voluntary approach to mitigate climate change that parties to the UNFCCC have developed.

Nagoya Protocol

• The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), adopted in 2010.

• Its purpose is to implement one of the three objectives of the CBD by ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the utilization of genetic resources, thereby promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

• The protocol outlines the obligations of its parties regarding access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing, and compliance.

COP24

• The Katowice Climate Change Conference, also known as COP24, was the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Katowice, Poland from 2 to 15 December 2018.

• The conference was held at the International Congress Centre and was presided over by Michał Kurtyka.

• In addition to addressing the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the conference included:
  • The fourteenth meeting of the parties for the Kyoto Protocol (CMP14).
  • The third session of the first meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement (CMA1-3 or CMA1.3).

• The conference’s main goal was to achieve full implementation of the Paris Agreement, and rules were agreed upon for its implementation.

COP21

• The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 21 or CMP 11, took place in Paris, France from November 30 to December 12, 2015.

• This event marked the 21st annual session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Kigali Amendment

• The Kigali Amendment is an international agreement to reduce the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) over time.

• This legally binding agreement aims to establish obligations and rights in international law.

Minamata Convention

• The Minamata Convention on Mercury is an international treaty that aims to safeguard human health and the environment against the harmful effects of mercury and its compounds resulting from human activities.

• After three years of negotiations, delegates from nearly 140 countries approved the convention’s text on January 19, 2013, in Geneva, and it was later adopted and signed on October 10, 2013, at a diplomatic conference in Kumamoto, Japan.

• The convention is named after Minamata, a Japanese city that suffered a tragic mercury poisoning incident.

• The treaty targets activities that are primarily responsible for the significant release of mercury into the environment, and it is expected to lead to a decrease in mercury pollution over the next few decades.

Rotterdam Convention

• The Rotterdam Convention, also known as the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, is a treaty designed to encourage shared responsibilities concerning the importation of hazardous chemicals.

• The convention promotes transparent information exchange and requires exporters of hazardous chemicals to:
  • Appropriately label the chemicals,
  • Provide safe handling instructions, and
  • Disclose any known bans or restrictions to purchasers.

• Nations that have signed the treaty can decide whether to permit or prohibit the importation of chemicals listed in the agreement, and exporting countries must ensure that producers under their jurisdiction adhere to the regulations.

COP25

• COP25, the 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference, took place in Madrid, Spain, from December 2-13, 2019.

• The conference was presided over by the Chilean government and included:
  • The 25th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
  • The 15th meeting of the Parties (CMP15) to the Kyoto Protocol,
  • The second meeting of the parties (CMA2) to the Paris Agreement.

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