3. Scheme of presentation
• Brief Introduction of MEA’s
• History of MEA’s
• Milestones of MEA’s
• Objectives of MEA’s
• Main clusters- Scope of MEA’s
• Implementation of MEA’s
• MEA’s ratified by Pakistan
• Conclusion
4. What are Multilateral Environmental Agreements? (MEAs)
• They have a goal of environmental protection (sustainable development);
• They take measures to remedy, mitigate or otherwise deal with global
and/or regional environmental concerns;
• The best known MEA are those that deals with global problems,
5. • They are governed by international law;
• They are concluded in written form.
6. Objectives of MEAs
• To Protecting Public Health and the Environment
• To ensure global sustainability
• Solidarity
• Financial Assistance
• Confining Environmental Problems
7. History Of MEAs
• Sweden first suggested to ECOSOC in 1968 the idea
of having a UN conference to focus on human
interactions with the environment
• ECOSOC passed resolution 1346 supporting the idea.
8. 8
Milestones in the evolution of MEAs
• Stockholm Conference on the Human Development
(1972):
– first attempt to address inter-relationships of environment and
development at global level
– established the United National Environmental Program (UNEP)
– accelerated development of modern MEAs: more than 60% of
existing MEAs are adopted after Rio
• The 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED):
– national and international policies redirected towards integration
of environmental, economic and development objectives
– Agenda 21 and Rio Declaration adopted
10. MAIN CLUSTERS
Biodiversity / Land / Seas
MEAs related to protection and conservation of BIODIVERSITY.
MEAs focusing on protecting LAND from “negative altering”.
MEAs relevant to the regional seas & MARINE ENVIRONMENT.
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
Others include CITES, CMS, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands etc.
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD);
3 Rio Conventions linked to climate change and biodiversity.
17 Regional Seas Conventions;
Global Program of Action for the protection of the marine environment
from land-based activities (GPA).
11. MAIN CLUSTERS
Atmosphere / Wastes & chemicals
MEAs aimed at protection of the ATMOSPHERE from pollutants.
Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer;
UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and the linked
Kyoto Protocol.
MEAs dealing with hazardous WASTES & CHEMICAL pollution.
Basel Convention on the control of trans boundary movement of
hazardous wastes and their disposal;
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
12. Implementation of MEAs
• Governments and regional organizations have
taken on a series of international commitments by signing and
ratifying MEAs.
• Efforts need to be made to apply these norms and to employ
practices that result in environmental improvements
• All MEAs differ in scope and substance. Nevertheless, they tend to
be formulated through a similar process that moves through five
distinct stages
13. How an MEA Enters into Force
Pre-negotiation
Negotiation
Adoption and signature
Ratification and accession
Entry into force
14. How MEAs works
• Implementation of an MEA
– a process of converting international commitments
and requirements into national law and policy in order
to induce behavioral change of target groups, i.e.
those actors causing the problem in question.
• Compliance
– refers to whether the countries adhere to the
agreement provisions and undertake implementation
measures, including procedural measures (e.g.
national reporting)
• Effectiveness
– whether a MEAs resolved a problem that caused its
creation.
15. List of International Environment
Conventions/Protocols Signed and
Ratified by Pakistan
16.
17.
18. Conclusion:
• MEA’s helps to address the
environmental problems being faced by
the international community
• MEA’s helps to facilitate achieving
sustainable development.
• Many MEA’s ( CBD, UNFCCC, UNCCD)
covers environmental aspects (
biodiversity, climate change and land
management) to ensure the protection of
environment in sustainable way.
19. Cont ..
Pakistan is also giving
greater emphasis on
implementing MEA’s by:
Educating general
public
Coordinating with
implementing agencies
International partnership