EARTHTRENDS DATA TABLES
For more information, please consult http://earthtrends.wri.org

TECHNICAL NOTES: MULTILATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS

DEFINITIONS AND METHODOLOGY

The ten treaties described below are a small subset of the hundreds of multilateral agreements drafted in recent decades at the global level. The table indicates the year that a country has either signed or ratified a particular agreement. By signing a treaty, a state recognizes the authentic text, intends to complete the procedures for becoming legally bound by it, and is committed not to act against the treaty's objectives before ratification. Ratification (or its equivalents of acceptance, approval, or accession) binds the state to observe the treaty. Depending on a country's system of governance, signing the treaty may be simply an executive decision while ratification requires legislative approval. Treaties vary both in international levels of participation and the extent to which they are legally binding. To a large extent, compliance lies with the individual countries and depends on informed self-interest, peer pressure from other countries, and public opinion. Effectiveness of any international convention or treaty is determined not only by the number of country ratifications, but also by the rigor of its implementation, monitoring, and enforcement. 

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This covenant details the basic civil and political rights of individuals and nations. The rights of nations include: the right to self determination, and the right to own, trade, and dispose of their property freely, and not be deprived of their means of subsistence. Among the rights of individuals are the right to life; the right to liberty and freedom of movement; the right to equality before the law; the right to presumption of innocence until proven guilty; the right to appeal a conviction; the right to privacy; freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; freedom of opinion and expression; and freedom of assembly and association. The covenant permits governments to temporarily suspend some rights in cases of civil emergency only, although other rights cannot be suspended for any reason. It also establishes the UN Human Rights Commission. After nearly three decades of negotiation, the agreement became international law in 1976. For more information, please see http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. This covenant describes the basic economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and nations, including the rights to self-determination; wages sufficient to support a minimum standard of living; equal pay for equal work; equal opportunity for advancement; form trade unions; strike; paid or otherwise compensated maternity leave; free primary education and accessible education at all levels; and copyright, patent, and trademark protection for intellectual property. In addition, this convention forbids exploitation of children, and requires all nations to cooperate to end world hunger. Nations that ratify the agreement are required to submit annual reports on progress in providing for these rights. The text of this covenant was finalized in 1966, but has not been ratified yet. For more information, please see http://www.hrweb.org/legal/undocs.html.

CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, is an international agreement to ensure that the survival of wild animals and plants is not threatened by international trade. It has been in force for almost 30 years; today, it accords varying degrees of protection to more than 30,000 species of animals and plants, whether they are traded as live specimens, fur coats, or dried herbs. CITES is legally binding on countries that have joined the Convention, and provides a framework to be respected by each Party, which has to adopt its own domestic legislation to make sure that CITES is implemented at the national level. More information is available at http://www.cites.org.

UNFCCC: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the centerpiece of global efforts to combat global warming. Adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, its ultimate objective is the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (human-made) interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner." More information is available at http://unfccc.int/2860.php.

Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol was established in 1997 by the third session of the Conference of
Parties (COP-3) to the UNFCCC. With ratification, developed countries commit themselves to reducing their collective emissions of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) by at least 5 percent from 1990 levels in the commitment period of 2008-2012. Compared to emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without emissions-control measures, the Protocol target represents a 30 percent cut. Both developed and developing countries agree to limit emissions and promote adaptation to future climate change impacts, submit information on their national climate change program and inventories, promote technology transfer, cooperate on scientific and public research, and promote public awareness and education. The terms of the Kyoto Protocol necessitated ratification by 55 Parties to the Convention, including Annex I Parties accounting for 55 percent of that group’s carbon dioxide emissions in 1990, before it could enter into force. This occurred on February 16th, 2005, with ratification by 152 Parties, totaling an Annex I emission percentage of 61.6 percent. More information is available on-line at http://unfccc.int/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php.

CBD: The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity is one of the key agreements adopted at the
1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The Convention establishes three main goals: the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of the components of biodiversity, and sharing the benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. The convention is legally binding; countries that join it are obliged to implement its provisions, such as reporting on what has been done to implement the accord and the effectiveness of these activities. The national reports, particularly when seen together, are one of the key tools for tracking progress in meeting the Convention's objectives. More information is available on-line at http://www.biodiv.org/doc/publications/guide.asp.

Biosafety Protocol: Adopted in January 2000 as a subsidiary agreement to the CBD, the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety allows governments to signal whether or not they are willing to accept imports of agricultural commodities that include Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). Living Modified Organisms—often known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) -- are becoming part of an increasing number of products, including foods and food additives, beverages, drugs, adhesives, and fuels. In addition, the treaty deals with access to and sharing of the benefits from commercial use of genetic material, such as pharmaceutical products. More information is available on-line at http://www.biodiv.org/doc/publications/guide.asp.

CCD: The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is an international Convention dedicated to addressing the problems of land degradation in the world’s drylands, caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations. Over 250 million people are directly affected by desertification and an additional one billion people in over one hundred countries are at risk. Since the Convention entered into force in 1996, countries affected by desertification are implementing the Convention by developing and carrying out national, sub-regional, and regional action programs. The Convention states that these programs must adopt a democratic, bottom-up approach emphasizing popular participation and the creation of an enabling environment designed to allow local people to help themselves reverse land degradation. More information is available at http://www.unccd.int/main.php.

Stockholm Convention: The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs, which remain intact in the environment for long periods of time, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms, and are toxic to humans and wildlife. The Convention was adopted in May 2001. Upon signature of the Convention, the first step toward implementation is the development of national action plans to eliminate or reduce the release of POPs into the environment. For more information, please consult the Stockholm Convention website at http://www.pops.int.

Aarhus Convention: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Access to
Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, or Aarhus Convention, was first adopted in June 1998. The Convention is open to the 55 members of the UNECE as well as to non-member states. According to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, "Although regional in scope…the Aarhus Convention is global. It is by far the most impressive elaboration of principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, which stresses the need for citizen's participation in environmental issues and for access to information on the environment held by public authorities…" The Convention will include regular reporting requirements and biennial meetings among member states. More information is available on-line at http://www.unece.org/env/pp .

Year of World Trade Organization Membership indicates the year in which a country joined the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO began in 1995, expanding on the international trade rules set forth by its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The WTO's purpose is to help trade flow as freely as possible without any undesirable side effects and to ensure that trade rules and tariffs are transparent and equitable among nations. It also serves as a forum for trade negotiations and dispute settlements. In theory, any state or customs territory having full autonomy in the conduct of its trade policies may join the WTO, after lengthy negotiations concerning market access, tariff rates, and other policies in goods and services. Governments marked as "observers" are expected to start accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers. More information is available on-line at http://www.wto.org/.

Agenda 21: Agreed upon in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) (“Earth Summit”) in Rio de Janeiro, Agenda 21 provides a program of action designed to promote sustainable development through the main focus areas of environmental, social, and economic issues. A commitment to the full implementation of Agenda 21 was reaffirmed in 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. With the goal of integrating environmental and development concerns to simultaneously provide the “fulfillment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future”, this comprehensive plan of action is to be implemented globally, nationally, and locally by the United Nations system, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact the environment. Each signatory member of the Agenda is to employ national strategies, plans, policies, and processes to insure the realization of the goals of Agenda 21. The broadest public participation, including all groups and organizations, is encouraged to aid in the attainment of the Agenda objectives. More information is available on-line at http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm.

National Agenda 21 Reporting Status indicates if a country has submitted a report on the status of its implementation of Agenda 21 in relation to the specific themes. Countries with reports "pending" submission are participants in the Agenda 21 process that have not yet submitted reports in 2002. “Non-reporting" countries are not participating in the Agenda 21 process. Country reports focus on social, economic, and environmental issues, including: combating poverty; energy; health; transport; agriculture; atmosphere; biodiversity; forests; freshwater; hazardous, solid, and radioactive wastes; land management; oceans; and toxic chemicals.

Local Agenda 21 Municipalities: The number of municipalities involved in the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) process denotes the number of government authorities that have made a formal commitment to LA21 or are actively undertaking the process. As part of the Agenda 21 process, local governments are called to create their own agenda outlining local priorities. The following criteria were used to identify local authorities undertaking the LA21 process: planning that involves local stakeholders; consultation with community partners; participatory assessment of local needs; participatory target setting through negotiations; and monitoring and reporting procedures. While the data can approximate the number of municipalities involved in LA21s, it does not indicate either (1) the extent of a municipality's involvement or (2) the size of the municipality. Many of the local participants were "self-reported" adherents to LA21 practices, introducing some degree of reporting bias. The survey did not have a clearly defined sample size, so rigorous statistical analysis of the results is not possible. 
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) conducted two separate surveys of global LA21 participation--in 1996 and in 2001. In 1996, ICLEI conducted two separate surveys--one at the national level and one at the local level. The national/regional survey was designed to collect quantitative data, while the local survey collected qualitative data about the number of LA21s. In 2001, a Local Agenda 21 Survey of Local Authority Associations/Institutions was distributed at the regional, national, and international level to collect quantitative data on the extent of LA21 initiatives on a country-by-country basis. It was distributed to 327 associations, including national councils for sustainable development and members of the United Nations Development Program Environment and Resource Group. ICLEI also surveyed local councils and authorities to gather in-depth, qualitative information about the LA21 process. Surveys were completed and sent back to ICLEI via e-mail, mail and fax. 

FREQUENCY OF UPDATE BY DATA PROVIDERS
Major Multilateral Agreements and WTO Membership Status are updated on a continual basis.  Agenda 21 Processes are updated irregularly, whenever a survey is conducted.   

SOURCES:
Covenants for Human Rights (Civil and Political; Economic, Social and Cultural): Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR). 2005. Status of Ratifications of the Principal International Human Rights Treaties. Geneva: UNHCHR. Available on-line at http://www.ohchr.org/english/countries/ratification/index.htm. 

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. 2005. List of Contracting Parties. Geneva: CITES Secretariat. Available on-line at http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/parties/alphabet.shtml. 

UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 2005. UNFCCC Status of Ratification. Bonn: UNFCCC. Available on-line at http://unfccc.int/resource/conv/ratlist.pdf. 

Kyoto Protocol: UNFCCC. 2005. Kyoto Protocol Status of Ratification. Bonn: UNFCCC. Available on-line at http://unfccc.int/files/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/application/pdf/kpstats.pdf. 

CBD and the Biosafety Protocol: Convention on Biodiversity. 2005. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity/Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Montréal: CBD. Available on-line at http://www.biodiv.org/world/parties.asp. 

CCD: United Nations Secretariat of the Convention to Combat Desertification. 2005. Status of Ratification and Entry into Force of the UNCCD. Bonn: UNCCD Secretariat. Available on-line at http://www.unccd.int/convention/ratif/doeif.php. 

Stockholm Convention: Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). 2005. List of Signatories and Parties to the Stockholm Convention. Nairobi: UNEP. Available on-line at http://www.pops.int/documents/signature/.

Aarhus Convention: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). 2005. Convention on
Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental
Matters: Participants. Geneva: UNECE. Available on-line at http://www.unece.org/env/pp/ctreaty.htm. 

WTO Membership: World Trade Organization (WTO). 2005. Organization Members and Observers. Geneva: WTO. Available on-line at http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm.

National Agenda 21 Reporting: United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD). 2005. National Implementation of Agenda 21: The Report. New York: UNCSD. Available on-line at
http:// www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/wssd/NIA_REPORT.pdf. 

Agenda 21 Municipalities: 
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). 2001. Second Local Agenda 21 Survey: Background Paper Number 15. New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). 

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) in cooperation with the United Nations Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development (UNDPCSD). 1997. A Study of Responses by Local Authorities and Their National and International Associations to Agenda 21. Toronto: ICLEI