Key International Conventions on the Environment
By Lim Tau Wee
REPORT
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is the landmark multilateral environmental agreement that regulates the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made chemicals referred to as ozone depleting substances ( ODS ). When released to the atmosphere , these chemicals damage the stratospheric ozone layer , Earth ’ s shield that protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun . Adopted on September 15 , 1987 , the Protocol is to date the only UN treaty ever that has been ratified by every country on Earth — all 198 UN Member States .
Nagoya Protocol
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation is a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity ( CBD ). It provides a transparent legal framework for the effective implementation of one of the three objectives of the CBD : the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources .
MINAMATA Convention on Mercury
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury . It was agreed at the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on mercury in Geneva , Switzerland on January 19 , 2013 and adopted later that year on October 10 , 2013 at a Diplomatic Conference ( Conference of Plenipotentiaries ), held in Kumamoto , Japan . The Convention entered into force on August 16 , 2017 on the 90 th day after the date of deposit of the 50 th instrument of ratification , acceptance , approval or accession .
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES ) is an international agreement between Governments . Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species .
CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of the members of IUCN ( The World Conservation Union ). CITES came
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