Desertification
see United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those
Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification,
Particularly in Africa
Endangered Species
see Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
Environmental Modification
see Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use
of Environmental Modification Techniques
Hazardous Wastes
see Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
note - abbreviated as Whaling
opened for signature - 2 December 1946
entered into force - 10 November 1948
objective - to protect all species of whales from overhunting; to
establish a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries
to ensure proper conservation and development of whale stocks; and to
safeguard for future generations the great natural resources
represented by whale stocks
parties - (51) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,
Belize, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica,
Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Grenada, Iceland, India,
Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, South Korea, Mauritius, Mexico,
Monaco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines,
Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983
note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 83
opened for signature - 18 November 1983
entered into force - 1 April 1985; this agreement expired when the
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, went into force
objective - to provide an effective framework for cooperation between
tropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the
development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and
conservation of tropical forests and their genetic resources
parties - (54) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana,
Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea,
Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama,
Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Venezuela
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 94
opened for signature - 26 January 1994
entered into force - 1 January 1997
objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber
originate from sustainably managed sources; to establish a fund to
assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary
to reach this objective
parties - (55) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote
d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon,
Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy,
Japan, South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal,
Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and
Tobago, UK, US, Venezuela
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) Ireland
Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change
note - abbreviated as Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
opened for signature - 16 March 1998, but not yet in force
objective - to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing
the national programs of developed countries aimed at this goal and by
establishing percentage reduction targets for the developed countries
parties - (21) Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Cyprus, El
Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Guatemala, Jamaica, Maldives, Federated
States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Niue, Palau, Panama,
Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (69) Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China,
Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South
Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mali,
Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Niger, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,
Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vietnam, Zambia
Law of the Sea
see United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)
Marine Dumping
see Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes
and Other Matter (London Convention)