Global Environment Outlook 2000 (GEO 2)

OV E R V I EW

Growth in numbers of Parties to selected MEAs

200 number of Parties

CBD 1992 (1993)

180

CITES 1973 (1987)

160

CMS 1979 (1983)

140

Basel 1989 (1992)

120

Ozone 1985 (1988)

100

UNFCCC 1992 (1994)

80

CCD 1994 (1996)

60

Ramsar 1971 (1975)

40

Heritage 1972 (1975)

20

UNCLOS 1982 (1994)

0

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

but its effectiveness depends on the manpower available, methods of implementation and control, and level of institutional coordination and policy integration. In most regions, such policies are still organized by sector but environmental planning and environmental impact assessment are becoming increasingly common. While most regions are now trying to strengthen their institutions and regulations, some are shifting towards deregulation, increased use of economic instruments and subsidy reform, reliance on voluntary action by the private sector, and more public and NGO participation. This development is fed by the increasing complexity of environmental regulation and high control costs as well as demands from the private sector for more flexibility, self- regulation and cost-effectiveness. GEO-2000 confirms the overall assessment of GEO-1 : the global system of environmental management is moving in the right direction but much too slowly. Yet effective and well tried policy instruments do exist that could lead much more quickly to sustainability. If the new millennium is not to be marred by major environmental disasters, alternative policies will have to be swiftly implemented Multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) have proven to be powerful tools for attacking environmental problems. Each region has its own regional and sub-regional agreements, mostly relating to the common management or protection of natural resources such as water supply in river basins and

Note: years after Convention names are those of adoption followed by (in brackets) entry into force; lines are thin before entry into force of a Convention, thick after

CBD:

Convention on Biological Diversity

CITES: CMS: Basel: Ozone:

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer

UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change CCD:

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa

Ramsar: Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat Heritage: Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage UNCLOS: United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

transboundary air pollution. There are also many global-level agreements, including those on climate change and biodiversity that resulted from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The growth of Parties to 10 major MEAs is shown in the graph above. One of the major conclusions of the policy review concerns the implementation and effectiveness of existing policy instruments. The assessment of implementation, compliance and effectiveness of policy initiatives is complicated and plagued by gaps in data, conceptual difficulties and methodological problems.

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