CSR Planner Glossary

Conventions (properly called Multilateral Environmental Agreements - MEAs) are agreements made between a minimum number of states within the United Nations (UN).

In the early 1970s the UN recognised it had the vital role in protecting the environment. The UN drew up an agreed list of the main global environmental impacts. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has classified the global environmental impacts into seven key areas in order to govern various environmental impacts. Selected conventions are listed below:

Complete UNEP list

Land Management

Convention Combating Desertification 1994

This seeks to reduce the spread of degraded soils throughout the world.

Deforestation

It has been impossible for member countries to agree a convention on deforestation. Instead there are the Forest Principles .

Biodiversity

CITES, the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1975

CITES, the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, 1975

Convention on Biological Diversity, Rio 1992

Freshwater

Helsinki Convention on the Protection and Use of transboundary Watercourses and Lakes 1992

Seawater

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling 1946

In 1982 moratorium on Whaling.

Barcelona Convention for the Mediterranean.

Cartagena Convention for the Wider Caribbean 1988

Law of the Sea Convention 1982

Now Third UN Law of the Sea Conference.

London Dumping Convention 1991 London Dumping Convention 1991

Now Third UN Law of the Sea Conference. Includes phrase
"the capacity of the sea to assimilate wastes and render them harmless...is not unlimited"

Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic 1992.Oslo Convention on Reduction and Dumping of Wastes in the North Sea

Oslo Convention on Reduction and Dumping of Wastes in the North Sea

Atmosphere

Convention on Climate Change, Rio 1992

Introduced the principle of "common but differentiated responsibility"
Includes famous "Kyoto Protocol"

Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (Vienna Convention) 1985.

Gave rise to the Montreal Protocol 1987. Article 5 states that while accepting the general obligation to reduce emissions of ozone depleting substances, some developing countries are allowed to delay their compliance with control measures for ten years. Amended London 1990 and Copenhagen 1992.

Contamination

Convention on the Control of transboundary Movements of hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, Basle 1989

Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Rotterdam 1998

Provisions whereby any importing country should be told whether the substance has been banned, withdrawn or severely restricted in their country of origin, and then give express consent be given before shipment. The UN produces "The Consolidated List of Products whose consumption or sale have been Banned, Restricted or Withdrawn by governments".

Stockholm Convention on Persitant Oranic Pollutants

POPs are chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife.

To find out more about any Convention - whether global or regional, go to Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators hosted at Columbia University. You can find out from this web site which country has signed up for which convention. You can also put in key words and find all the conventions that involve those words.

Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage

UNESCO Site

View complete list of United Nations Conventions