Info-Repository:
Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)

Transboundary environmental problems (i.e. environmental problems that affect more than one country across their borders) need negotiated discussions in oirder to arrive at consensus solutions that will then be implemented by all concenting or signatory countries. This is especially true for problems than are global or affect a large number of countries.

Such negotiated solutions - called "Multilateral Environmental Agreements" - are usually formulated under the aegis of the United Nations and include scientific data gathering, negotiations, discussions, global conferences, and an Agreement document that is signed by concenting countries.

The best known of MEAs, is of course the UN Framework Convention o Climate Change (UNFCCC) under which the Paris Agreement was promulgated in December 2015, and along with the MEAs on biological diversity and dersertification, form the "Big Three" MEAs.

Multilateral Environmental Agreements
Brief
Summary
MEA
Websites
Climate Change
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
Biodiversity
Summary
Summary
Websites
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Desertification
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
Oceans and the Law of the Sea
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites
CITES
Summary
Summary
Websites
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Convention on Migratory Species
Summary
Summary
Websites
Websites



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Comments and suggestions:
Hari Srinivas - hsrinivas@gdrc.org
The MEAs on climate change (UNFCCC), Biodiversity (UNCBD) and desertification (UNCCD) are collectively called the "Big Three" agreements.

They are also known as the "Rio Conventions" since they were first proposed at the 1992 UN Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Did you know?

22 May is Biodiversity Day
5 June is Environment Day
17 June is Desertification Day
16 Sept is Ozone Day

Please see two other locations on the GDRC Website that also cover the theme of MEAs:

  • MEAs and Cities
  • The Trialogue