Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA)

Programme Result Area 5

Photo : UN, NY

ReCoMaP supports the Western Indian Ocean Countries in

 

Today there are over 500 Multilateral Environmental Agreements and other international treaties related to the environment, of which over 320 are regional. In 1972, the year of the Stockholm Conference 60% of the current MEAs were drafted. Since 1972, there has been an accelerated increase in MEAs with more than 300 agreements negotiated and others waiting to be finalized.

Current MEA Support Activities in the region can be found here.

Numerous MEAs have been adopted, signed and ratified also by the Western Indian Ocean Countries. Out of these MEAs many have or should have an indirect or direct impact on Integrated Coastal Zone Management or sector specific coastal management. MEAs are setting standards and define goals and limitations to be applied in national and local coastal environmental management, coastal resources management, coastal zone development and coastal environmental conservation.

MEAs adopted after 1972 generally have the following institutional elements

  • Conference of the Parties (COP)
  • Secretariat
  • Advisory Bodies
  • Clearing-house Mechanism and
  • Financial Mechanism

The Conference of the Parties (COP) of each convention or the Meeting of the Parties (MOP) of a protocol to a convention are the ultimate decision-making bodies regarding the overall implementation and development of their respective MEA, including the programme of work, budget and the revision of annexes, where applicable. Several MEAs have clearing-house mechanisms established, generally operated by the secretariats, to promote and facilitate technical and scientific cooperation or facilitate the exchange of scientific, technical, environmental and legal information and assist developing country Parties in the implementation of the MEA concerned.

 

MEAs relevant for Integrated Coastal Zone Management, which have been signed by most Western Indian Ocean Countries, can be found in the list below.

Marine related

  • Convention on the High Seas, 1958
  • Convention on Wetlands of International importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (RAMSAR 1971), 2001
  • Convention on the prevention of pollution from Ships (1973), as modified by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL)
  • Convention on the Continental Shelf, 1970
  • United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982
  • Convention on the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region and related protocols (Nairobi Convention), 1985
  • Jakarta Mandate on Marine and Coastal Biological Diversity, no date (programme of action)
  • Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1996
  • Convention on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas, 1958
  • Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, 1958
  • International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC), 1969
    Protocol of 1976 to amend the CLC (PROT-CLC), 1976
  • International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage (FUND), 1971
    Protocol amending the (FUND- PROT), 1976
  • Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974
  • Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972
  • Convention on Load Lines, 1966
  • Convention on Standards of Training and Certification of Watch Keepers (STCW), 1978
  • Agreement on the Organisation for Indian Ocean Marine Affairs, 1990
  • Agreement for the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, (Established under Article XIV of the FAO Constitution), 1996
  • Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea Bed and the Ocean Floor and in the Subsoil thereof, 1971

 

Biodiversity related

  • African Convention for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Algiers Convention), 1968
    Revised African Convention (Algiers Convention), 2003
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), 1973
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992
  • Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), 1994
    1. African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), the largest agreement developed so far under CMS
    2. The Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (MT-IOSEA)

 

  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2003
  • International Plant Protection Convention, 1971
  • Revised text on International Plant Protection Convention, 1990

 

 

Atmosphere related

  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 1992
    UNFCCC Protocol, Kyoto, 1997
  • Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985
    Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone, 1987
    Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (London), 1990
    Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (Copenhagen), 1992
    Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (Montreal), 1997
    Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (Beijing), 1999
  • African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, 1996

 

 

Chemicals related

  • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 2001
  • Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, 1989
  • Rotterdam Convention 1988
  • Bamako Convention on the Ban of the import into Africa and the control of transboundary movement and management of hazardous wastes within Africa, 1991
  • Ban Amendment to the Basel Convention, 2005

 

 

Agreements

  • New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), 2001
  • Agenda 21 and Johannesburg Plan Of Implementation, 2002
  • Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), 1992
  • Cotonou Agreement, 2000
  • ACP-EU Economic partnership agreements
  • World Trade Organisation (WTO)
  • General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1947

 

 

Others

  • Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, 1963
  • Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972
  • Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, 1977