see Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Antarctic Treaty
opened for signature - 1 December 1959
entered into force - 23 June 1961
objective - to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only (such as international cooperation in scientific research); to defer the question of territorial claims asserted by some nations and not recognized by others; to provide an international forum for management of the region; applies to land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees south latitude
parties - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,
Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South Korea,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Romania,
Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal note - abbreviated as Hazardous
Wastes
opened for signature - 22 March 1989
entered into force - 5 May 1992
objective - to reduce transboundary movements of wastes subject to the Convention to a minimum consistent with the environmentally sound and efficient management of such wastes; to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated and ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation; and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate