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The fragmentation, duplication and overlap among international Multilateral
Environmental Agreements (MEAs) reflects their piecemeal origin in response
to each new problem. There are more meetings and reporting requirements
than many governments can cope with or afford. Compliance rates are at
best patchy. In the long term, a different approach aimed at building
a coherent body of international environmental legislation is needed;
meanwhile, short-term initiatives may help the system function more effectively.
| Suggestions for Action |
| Strengthening international environmental legislation
and compliance |
- Increase information exchange to foster coordination between
related agreements
- Hold joint meetings of the conferences of the Parties or the
scientific advisory bodies of related MEAs, such as those for
climate change and ozone
- Establish joint financial systems to cover various MEA provisions
and integrate regional secretariats with a view to bringing related
MEA secretariats under a uniform system
- Revitalize regional and global MEA mechanisms that have been
beneficial in the past but have been sidelined
- Encourage NGOs, action groups, and regional and international
organizations to promote conventions among their constituencies
and leverage them effectively into policy
- Mandate UNEP to strengthen coordination of MEAs
- Establish a system of national reporting on international conventions
to facilitate their close linkage to national policies and programmes
- Formulate transparent monitoring rules, procedures and regimes
for the review and revision of commitments, conflict mediation
and the provision of scientific, technical and economic advice
upon request
- Assign shared but differentiated responsibilities and obligations
under environmental agreements, whereby richer states are given
greater responsibilities for action than poorer states
- Allow international and regional institutions to handle environmental
disputes and encourage them to enforce sanctions against non-compliant
parties to strengthen the effectiveness of international agreements
- Establish transparent and doable non-compliance procedures under
existing MEAs
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