Peaceful settlement of disputes. Countries should peacefully resolve all their environmental disputes. In addition, for ease of reference, key agreements have also been grouped according to general environmental issues in accordance with the sitemap structure. This category and subcategories are intended to encompass agreements related to the regulation of lakes and rivers. In most cases, freshwater protection agreements are referred to by the name of the water body concerned, although the title does not indicate exactly what environmental aspect is protected. I assumed that the word “protection” of a river or lake implied environmental protection. In other cases, however, I have used the preamble to distinguish environmental protection of freshwater resources from agreements involving rivers or lakes and only marine shipping. The coding terms used for INCLUSION are: But not all environmental threats trigger international responses (as opposed to purely national or local responses). For countries to sacrifice their autonomy, collective resolution of the problem must be harnessed. Typically, countries turn to international cooperation when (l) environmental impacts are transboundary (e.g.

pollution of the Great Lakes) or global (e.g. climate change); 2) Some international activities contribute to environmental damage, such as the international trade in elephant ivory or the killing of whales; or (3) international coordination of financial or technical assistance can act as a catalyst for action (e.g. global biodiversity conservation). In these circumstances, international cooperation – whether in the form of a binding treaty or a non-binding agreement of non-binding law – is necessary to respond effectively to the environmental challenge. As treaties, BAIs are subject to international law and are binding once they enter into force. However, this does not always lead to compliance. National legislation is usually necessary to meet the standards of an environmental agreement. A signature is not the last step. Ratification by the state`s governing body is required before countries become full participants in international agreements.

While a signature is interpreted as a commitment to move forward with full ratification, this is not always the case. I deliberately exclude intergovernmental soft laws such as action plans, concerted actions, codes of conduct, declarations, resolutions and similar guidelines because they are not binding. I also exclude European Union (EU) directives because they differ from other international agreements in several important ways (Burns, 2002; Burhenne and Jahnke, 1993; Brown Weiss 1997). “Agreements” are distinct from non-binding acts based on terms in the title of the agreement, as described in the following tables: Lists of subjects are simply lists of agreements containing the same words or phrases. So there are a variety of BAIs that protect birds in different ways, but they are part of very different legal lines signed by different countries in different regions and have no legal connection between them. Description: This Protocol and its six annexes complement the 1959 Antarctic Treaty to enhance the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems. The Protocol obliges Parties to “fully protect the Antarctic environment”; describes Antarctica as a “nature reserve dedicated to peace and science”; establishes binding principles and requirements for environmental protection; prohibits any commercial mineral resource; and requires environmental impact assessment (EIA) of all activities before they can be carried out. Learn more about how we assess the environmental impact of non-governmental activities in Antarctica. To be considered international, the treaty must be intergovernmental; Bilateral agreements exist between two governments, and multilateral agreements exist between more than two.

“a legally binding intergovernmental document whose primary objective is to prevent or combat the effects of man on natural resources” The topics covered by these agreements are very broad: biodiversity and nature conservation, climate change, protection of the ozone layer, desertification, disposal of chemicals and waste, transboundary water and air pollution, environmental policy (including impact assessments, B. Access to information and public participation), industrial accidents, protection of the sea and rivers, environmental liability.