International conventions for the protection of environment

1. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY -
2021
Prepared By:
 Mariam rafiq malik
International conventions for the protection of environment

2. International conventions , international treaty, international
agreement, compact, or contract , are treaties or agreements between states. These
conventions could be :
 Unilateral
 Bilateral
 Regional
 Multilateral
A unilateraltreatyis a agreement that a nation imposes without regard to others. It
benefits that one country only.
Example:
The United States has unilateral trade policies under the Generalized System of Preferences.

3. A bilateral treaty is
a treaty strictly between two state parties.
These two parties can be two states, or
two international organizations, or one
state and one international organization.
Example :
Peace treaty between Egypt and Israel,
signed in September 1978.
Regional treaties most relevant
to economic, social and cultural rights.
Example :
- American Convention on Human Rights
(1969)
- Conservation of wet land in North East Asia.

4. A multilateral treaty is a treaty to which three or
more sovereign states are parties.[ Each party owes the same obligations to
all other parties, except to the extent that they have stated reservations.In
terms of environment the word protocol is used often
For Example
 Montreal protocol
 Vienna convention
 Kyoto protocol
 Rio conference

5. The environment helps in protecting the ecosystem
Protecting the environment protects humanity
Humans have a moral obligation to preserve nature and its feature
Biodiversity is a significant part of life in the world
Forests provide raw materials for various consumer products.
Forests provide habitats for a variety of species
It is a way to give to your generation:
It is a way to give back to the planet
The environment is effective in generating successful food chain
The trees that are a significant part of the environment helps in keeping the climate cool
The environment is useful in maintaining the earth’s balance
A balanced ecosystem results in rain
Trees, a significant part of the environment.
Trees play a significant role in blocking the wind
Many animals need the environment for survival
Preserving the environment could prevent soil erosion
Maintaining the environment slows down global warming
Why to conserve the environme

6. Vienna Convention
Objective : Protection of the Ozone Layer
Included : 43 states (16 developing countries)
Vienna Convention can mean any of a number of treaties
signed in Vienna.

7. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone
Layeris a Multilateral environmental agreement.
• It was agreed upon at the Vienna Conference of 1985 and entered into force in 1988.
• In terms of universality, it is one of the Most successful treaties of all time, having been ratified by 197
states (all United Nations members as well as the Holy see, Niue and the Cook Islands ) as well as the
European union.
• It acts as a framework for the international efforts to protect the ozone layer.

8. WHY TO PROTECT OZONE LAYER?
Now before knowing why is it so important to protect ozone let us know what is ozone
The ozone layer is a natural layer of gas in the upper atmosphere that protects humans and other living things from harmful ultraviolet (UV)
radiation from the sun.
The ozone layer filters out most of the sun's harmful UV radiation and is therefore crucial to life on Earth.
UV rays can also damage the eyes as more than 99% of UV radiationis absorbed by the front of the eyes. Corneal damage, cataracts, and
macular degeneration are all possible chronic effectsfrom UVexposure and can ultimately lead to blindness. Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, can
also develop within the eye.

9. Results
Somehow, The convention was not enough successfully followed at that time but A key result of the
Vienna Convention has been the Montreal Protocol, which is playing a major role in restoring the
ozone layer.
Pakistanwas not involved in this convention anyhow it took active
part in the Montreal protocol.

10. The Montreal Protocol
Extension of Vienna convention
Objective : Protection of the Ozone Layer
Included : 197 states
16 September 1987

11. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete
the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the
Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.
It was agreed on 26 August 1987, and entered into force on 26 January 1989, followed by a first
meeting in Helsinki May 1989.

12. The treaty is structuredaround several groups of halogenated hydrocarbonsthat deplete
stratospheric ozone. All of the ozone depletingsubstancescontrolled by the Montreal Protocol contain
either chlorine or bromine (substancescontaining only fluorine do not harm the ozone layer). Some ozone-depleting
substances(ODSs) are not yet controlled by the Montreal Protocol, including nitrous oxide (N2O).
It aims to stop all the harmful impacts of human activates on the ozone layer.
The Montreal Protocol has proven to be innovativeand successful,and is the first treaty to achieve
universal ratification by all countriesin the world.

13. Pakistan accepted this protocol on 18 December 1992.
Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi : Climate Change Ministry along with Environmentalists, industrialists, manufacturers
and academics are completely phasing out the use of ozone-layer-depleting substances in the country in line with the
Montreal Protocol.
Getting rid of 13 different ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), including hydro-chloro-fluoro-carbons (HCFC) and chloro-
fluoro-carbons (CFC), is critical to protecting the ozone layer, which protects all life on earth from adverse impacts of
ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and its spill-over effect of climate change.
According to the commitment, Pakistan had to reduce HCFCs by 10%.
The findings showed that Pakistan has reduced the
these by 35%, which is a huge reduction.

14. RIO CONFERENCE
OBJECTIVE : ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
INCLUDED : 172 STATES
(108 PARTIES)
14 JUNE 1992

15. The United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development(UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit,
the Rio Summit, the Rio Conference, and the Earth Summit ,was a major United
Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.
Earth Summit was created as a response for Member States to cooperate together
internationally on development issues after the Cold War.

16. The issues addressed included:
Systematic observation of patterns of production — particularly the production of toxic components,
such as lead in gasoline, or poisonouswaste including radioactive chemicals.
Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuelswhich delegates linked to
global climate change.
New reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in
cities and the health problems caused by polluted air and smoke.
The growing usage and limited supply of water.

17. 3 IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
The 3 important conservation of the earth summit was:
•Convention on biodiversity
•Convention on desertification
•Convention on climatic change

18. AGENDA 21 (SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS)
•The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st Century.
•A wide-ranging blueprint for action to achieve sustainable development worldwide.
•Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.It is
an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations,and individual governments around the world
that can be executed at local, national, and global levels.
•Sustainable development means adopting and implementing policiesconcerning issuessuch as
recycling, energy efficiency , conservation and rehabilitationof
damaged landscapes.

19. In Pakistanthe government has taken the necessary action to implement Agenda 21.
Ministries, councils and agencies to work on environmental issues have been created.
National Conservation Strategy (NCS) has also been developed by the government, which identifies 14 core
priority areas to fight environmental degradation and pollution.
The Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) is one of the NGOs which is working
for the implementation of Agenda 21.
SCOPE of Agenda 21 look at:
managing fragile ecosystems.
promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development.
conservation of biological diversity.
protection of the quality and supply of freshwater resources.

20. The Forest Principles(also Rio Forest Principles) is the
Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests.
It is a non-legally binding document that makes several
recommendations for conservation and sustainable
development forestry.

21. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development defines the rights of
the people to be involved in the development of their economies, and the
responsibilities of human beings to safeguardthe common
environment.

22. There are a number of principles to the Rio Declaration.
People are entitledto a healthyand productive life in harmony with nature.
Development today mustnot threaten theneeds of present and future generations.
Nations have the right to exploit their own resources, but without causingenvironmental damagebeyond their borders.
Environmental protectionshall constitutean integral part of the developmentprocess.
Environmental issuesare best handledwith the participationof all concerned citizens.
The polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution.
Sustainable development requiresbetter scientificunderstandingof the problems. Nations should share knowledge and
technologies to achieve thegoal of sustainability.

23. The convention on biological diversity (CBD), known informally as
the biodiversity convention, is a multilateral treaty.
The convention has three main goals including:
The conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity)
The sustainable use of its components
The fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
It is often seen as the key document regarding sustainable development.

24. The present study reviewed the current status of Plant Genetic Resources related to the traditional knowledge in
Pakistan. State and uses of agro biodiversity, in situ and ex-situ conservation national programs, policies and legislation,
regional and international collaboration in order to better access of genetic resources, sharing of benefits arising out of their fair
use and farmers’ rights and contribution of Plant Genetic Resources management for food security and sustainable development.
According to latest research Flora of Pakistan has been prepared. More than 5700 species of flowering plants have so far been
identified. 21 species of Gymnosperms, 189 Pteridophytes more than 4500 Fungi and 775 Algae
species have already been identified. The natural areas are continuously being surveyed to record the flora in different
ecological zones. New species coming across are duly described.
Pakistan Ratification the UN convention on genetic resources on 26 July 1994

25. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries
Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
(UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought
through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by
international cooperation and partnership arrangements.
The Convention, the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the
Rio Conference's Agenda 21.
 It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem
of desertification

26. The minister, along with a delegationof climate experts,representedPakistan at the convention.
They highlightedissues includingdesertification, land degradation and landerosion and deliberatedon how Pakistan
could mitigate theimpact of these problems.
Pakistan is facingdauntingchallenges to combat desertification, with more than 80 per cent of its classified land – arid
and semi-arid – was getting severelyaffected bydesertification, land degradationand recurring droughts.
The government is supporting theformulation ofcomprehensiveland-use policies, providingtrainingto individuals
and institutions, and helping farmers adopt better irrigation practices at the local level.
PakistanRatification the UN convention on desertification change on 24 February 1997

27. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is
an international environmental treaty .
The UNFCCC objective is to "stabilize greenhouse gasconcentrations in the atmosphere at a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interferencewith the climate system".
The framework sets non binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no
enforcement mechanisms.

28. Earth Summit 1992 produced several long-range reports and implementation
plans that continue to serve as blueprints for international action on environmental
issues, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2002)
and the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

29. Kyoto Protocol
Objective : reduce green house gasses emission
Included : 276 states
11 December 1997

30. The view that human activities are likely responsiblefor most of the observed increase in global
mean temperature ("global warming") since the mid-20th century is an accurate reflection of current
scientific thinking.
Human-induced warming of the climate is expected to continue throughout the 21st century and
beyond.
The Kyoto Protocolis an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is
occurring an it is extremely likely that human-made CO2 emissionshave predominantly caused it.

31. The Protocol is based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities:
 it acknowledges that individual countries have different capabilities in combating climate change,
owing to economic development, and ergo puts the obligation to reduce current
emissions on developed countries on the basis that they are historically responsible for the current
levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The Protocol's first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. A second commitment
period was agreed on in known as the Doha Amendment.
Pakistan Access Kyoto protocol on 11 January 2005

32. DOHA AMENDMENT
The United Nations is encouraging governments to ratify as soon as they can the
amendments relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international
emissions reduction treaty.
Ratification of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol is a valuable part of the
momentum for global climate action for the years leading up to 2020.
Pakistan Accepted Doha Amendment on 31 October 2017

33. EFFORTS ON SUSTAIN ABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN PAKISTAN
The Government of Pakistan and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
launched a new US$37 million project today that will benefit more than 30 million people
with scaled-up early warning systems, training on glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF)
preparedness and response, and the creation of new protective infrastructure.
Led by Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change, with support from UNDP and US$37
million in grant funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the five-year project targets
the most vulnerable rural communities in the high-altitude regions of Gilgit-Baltistan and
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where around two in ten people live on less than US$1.90 per day.
The project is co-financed with a US$500,000 from the local Government of Gilgit-
Baltistan.

34. Building Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal
Areas of Pakistan (CCAP) project (2011-2015) funded by the
European Commission (EC) intends to mitigate the climate
change risks faced by vulnerable communities in coastal areas of
Sindh (Keti Bunder and Kharo Chan, Thatta
District) and Balochistan (Jiwani, Gwadar District)
through the implementation of interventions related to adaptation and
capacity building.

35. Paris Agreement
Extension of Kyoto protocol
Objective : limit the emission of green house gasses
Included : 375 states
12 December 2015

36. The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions
mitigation, adaptation, and finance.
The Paris Agreement's long-term goal is to keep the increase in global average
temperature to well below 2 °Cabove pre-industrial levels; and to limit the increase to
1.5 °C, since this would substantially reduce the risks and effects of climate change.
PakistanRatified the Paris agreement on 10 November 2016

37. Pakistan is ranked on 7th position, with a death toll of 523.1 lives per year i.e.
10,462 lives lost in 20 years and economic losses worth US $ 3.8 billion
— equivalent to 0.605 per cent of the GDP in the 20 year period. During this
time, Pakistan had suffered from 141 extreme weather events
— let it be cyclones, storms, floods, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)
and heat waves, etc. In last year’s long-term index (1996 to 2015 average),
Pakistan held the same 7th position.

38. Developing countries, Pakistan included, have shown interest in discussions on
adaptation measures, capacity-building, and climate finance.
Pakistan has been consistently ranked high in several vulnerability indices, reflecting
the need for augmented investments to reduce climate vulnerabilities and enhance
resilience through water, food and energy security and enhancing livelihood options.

39. 1 Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous
wastes and their Disposal
Accession on 26 July 1994
2 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants Ratification on 17 April 2008
3 Cartagena Protocol on Bio Safety to the Convention on Biological Diversity Ratification on 2 March 2009
4 Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(Beijing)
Ratification on 2 September
2005
5 Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(London)
Accession on 18 Dec 1992
6 Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(Copenhagen)
Ratification on 17 Feb 1995
7 Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
(Montreal)
Ratification on 2 Sep 2005
8 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides In International Trade
Ratification on 14 July 2005
9 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable
Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological
Accession on 23 November
S . NO
Conventions Status (Date of Ratification/ Accession/
Signature)

40. ANY QUERY?