associate members - (2) Puerto Rico, Tokelau
observers - (2) Holy See, Liechtenstein
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): established - 14 July 1967; effective - 26 April 1970
aim - to furnish protection for literary, artistic, and scientific works; a UN specialized agency
members - (179) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts andNevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, SanMarino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,Zimbabwe
World Meteorological Organization (WMO): established - 11 October 1947; effective - 4 April 1951
aim - to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agency
members - (187) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,British Caribbean Territories, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea,Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania,Luxembourg, Macau, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NetherlandsAntilles, New Caledonia, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa,Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro,Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan,Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
World Tourism Organization (WToO): established - 2 January 1975
aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic development, international understanding, and peace
members - (142) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin,Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France,Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea,South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,Lithuania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar,Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay,Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa,Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania,Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
associate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico
observers - (2) Holy See, Palestine Liberation Organization
World Trade Organization (WTrO): note - succeeded General Agreement onTariff and Trade (GATT)
established - 15 April 1994; effective - 1 January 1995
aim - to provide a forum to resolve trade conflicts between members and to carry on negotiations with the goal of further lowering and/or eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers
members - (146) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burma, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad,Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic ofthe Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau,The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania,Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, UK, US,Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe
observers - (30) Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Holy See, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Nepal, Russia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tonga, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen; note - must start accession negotiations within five years of becoming observers
Zangger Committee (ZC): established - early 1970s
aim - to establish guidelines for the export control provisions of the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT)
members - (35) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg,Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey Ukraine, UK,US
This page was last updated on 9 December, 2004
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Appendix C - Selected International Environmental Agreements
Air Pollution
see Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or Their Transboundary Fluxes
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants
Air Pollution-Sulfur 85
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on the Reduction of Sulfur Emissions or Their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30%
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulfur Emissions
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
see Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
Antarctic Treaty
opened for signature - 1 December 1959
entered into force - 23 June 1961
objective - to ensure that Antarctica is used for peaceful purposes only (such as international cooperation in scientific research); to defer the question of territorial claims asserted by some nations and not recognized by others; to provide an international forum for management of the region; applies to land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees South latitude
parties - (45) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil,Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic,Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Netherlands,NZ, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia,South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US,Uruguay, Venezuela
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of HazardousWastes and Their Disposal
note - abbreviated as Hazardous Wastes
opened for signature - 22 March 1989 entered into force - 5 May 1992
objective - to reduce transboundary movements of wastes subject to the Convention to a minimum consistent with the environmentally sound and efficient management of such wastes; to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated and ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation; and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate
parties - (159) Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile,China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Finland, France, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal,Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania,Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (3) Afghanistan, Haiti, US
Biodiversity
see Convention on Biological Diversity
Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals
note - abbreviated as Antarctic Seals
opened for signature - 1 June 1972 entered into force - 11 March 1978
objective - to promote and achieve the protection, scientific study, and rational use of Antarctic seals, and to maintain a satisfactory balance within the ecological system of Antarctica
parties - (16) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, UK, US
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) NZ
Convention on Biological Diversity
note - abbreviated as Biodiversity
opened for signature - 5 June 1992
entered into force - 29 December 1993
objective - to develop national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity
parties - (188) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada,Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia,Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, CookIslands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel,Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, NorthKorea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The FormerYugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives,Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, FederatedStates of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique,Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan,Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) US
Climate Change
see United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
see Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the HighSeas
note - abbreviated as Marine Life Conservation
opened for signature - 29 April 1958
entered into force - 20 March 1966
objective - to solve through international cooperation the problems involved in the conservation of living resources of the high seas, considering that because of the development of modern technology some of these resources are in danger of being overexploited
parties - (37) Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, BurkinaFaso, Cambodia, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Finland,France, Haiti, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, UK, US,Venezuela
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (21) Afghanistan,Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ghana, Iceland,Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Lebanon, Liberia, Nepal, NZ,Pakistan, Panama, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uruguay
Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution
opened for signature - 13 November 1979
entered into force - 16 March 1983 objective - to protect the human environment against air pollution and to gradually reduce and prevent air pollution, including long-range transboundary air pollution
parties - (49) Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosniaand Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia,Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, US
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (2) Holy See, San Marino
Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
note - abbreviated as Antarctic-Marine Living Resources
opened for signature - 5 May 1980
entered into force - 7 April 1982
objective - to safeguard the environment and protect the integrity of the ecosystem of the seas surrounding Antarctica, and to conserve Antarctic marine living resources
parties - (31) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,Chile, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, SouthKorea, Namibia, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia, SouthAfrica, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu
Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of WildFlora and Fauna (CITES)
note - abbreviated as Endangered Species
opened for signature - 3 March 1973
entered into force - 1 July 1975
objective - to protect certain endangered species from overexploitation by means of a system of import/export permits
parties - (165) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana,Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy,Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos,Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco,Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes andOther Matter (London Convention)
note - abbreviated as Marine Dumping
opened for signature - 29 December 1972
entered into force - 30 August 1975
objective - to control pollution of the sea by dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention
parties - (80 + Hong Kong) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Australia, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil,Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, Egypt, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Guatemala,Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong (associate member), Hungary, Iceland, Iran,Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea,Libya, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands,NZ, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent andthe Grenadines, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Slovenia, SolomonIslands, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga,Tunisia, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Vanuatu
Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use ofEnvironmental Modification Techniques
note - abbreviated as Environmental Modification
opened for signature - 10 December 1976
entered into force - 5 October 1978 objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations
parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Brazil,Bulgaria, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Dominica, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, North Korea, SouthKorea, Kuwait, Laos, Malawi, Mauritius, Mongolia, Netherlands, NZ,Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Romania, Russia,Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland,Tajikistan, Tunisia, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam,Yemen
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Bolivia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iceland, Iran,Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Morocco, Nicaragua, Portugal,Sierra Leone, Syria, Turkey, Uganda
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially asWaterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)
note - abbreviated as Wetlands
opened for signature - 2 February 1971
entered into force - 21 December 1975
objective - to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value
parties - (125) Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia,Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus,Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana,Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Chad, Chile, China,Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of theCongo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic,Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon,The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea, Latvia,Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia,Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Pakistan, Panama,Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,Romania, Russia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Sierra Leone,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia
Desertification
see United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa
Endangered Species
see Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
Environmental Modification
see Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques
Hazardous Wastes
see Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
note - abbreviated as Whaling
opened for signature - 2 December 1946
entered into force - 10 November 1948
objective - to protect all species of whales from overhunting; to establish a system of international regulation for the whale fisheries to ensure proper conservation and development of whale stocks; and to safeguard for future generations the great natural resources represented by whale stocks
parties - (42) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria,Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominica, Finland, France,Germany, Grenada, Guinea, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, SouthKorea, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Oman, Panama,Peru, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Senegal, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, UK, US
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983
note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 83
opened for signature - 18 November 1983
entered into force - 1 April 1985; this agreement expired when the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994, went into force
objective - to provide an effective framework for cooperation between tropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation of tropical forests and their genetic resources
parties - (54) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo,Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU,Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras,India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Liberia,Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, US, Venezuela
International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
note - abbreviated as Tropical Timber 94
opened for signature - 26 January 1994
entered into force - 1 January 1997
objective - to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originate from sustainably managed sources; to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reach this objective
parties - (58) Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma,Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, China, Colombia,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire,Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany,Ghana, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy,Japan, South Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Nepal, Netherlands,NZ, Norway, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Portugal,Spain, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad andTobago, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela
Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChange
note - abbreviated as Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
opened for signature - 16 March 1998, but not yet in force
objective - to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing the national programs of developed countries aimed at this goal and by establishing percentage reduction targets for the developed countries
parties - (122) Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria,Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia,Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica,Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, EU, Fiji, Finland,France, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland,Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico,Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia,Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau,Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,Portugal, Romania, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Senegal, Seychelles, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden,Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,Vanuatu, Vietnam
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (13) Australia, Croatia, Egypt, Indonesia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Niger, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, US, Zambia
Law of the Sea
see United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)
Marine Dumping
see Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping Wastes and Other Matter (London Convention)
Marine Life Conservation
see Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
note - abbreviated as Ozone Layer Protection
opened for signature - 16 September 1987
entered into force - 1 January 1989 objective - to protect the ozone layer by controlling emissions of substances that deplete it
parties - (183) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria,Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde,Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros,Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia,Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland,Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati,North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon,Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, TheFormer Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco,Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger,Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea,Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia,Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan,Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Nuclear Test Ban
see Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water
Ozone Layer Protection
see Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for thePrevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)
note - abbreviated as Ship Pollution
opened for signature - 17 February 1978
entered into force - 2 October 1983
objective - to preserve the marine environment through the complete elimination of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances
parties - (119) Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, Canada,Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic,Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Latvia, Lebanon,Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, MarshallIslands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands,NZ, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis,Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe,Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore,Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden,Switzerland, Syria, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,Tuvalu, Ukraine, UK, US, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam
Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty
note - abbreviated as Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
opened for signature - 4 October 1991
entered into force - 14 January 1998
objective - to provide for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems; applies to the area covered by the Antarctic Treaty
parties - (30) Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy,Japan, South Korea, Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Peru, Poland, Russia,South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK, US, Ukraine, Uruguay
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary AirPollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides orTheir Transboundary Fluxes
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides
opened for signature - 31 October 1988
entered into force - 14 February 1991
objective - to provide for the control or reduction of nitrogen oxides and their transboundary fluxes
parties - (28) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands,Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK, US
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (1) Poland
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary AirPollution Concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile OrganicCompounds or Their Transboundary Fluxes
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
opened for signature - 18 November 1991
entered into force - 29 September 1997
objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of volatile organic compounds in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects
parties - (21) Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark,Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein,Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland, UK
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (6) Canada, EU, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, US
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary AirPollution on Further Reduction of Sulfur Emissions
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
opened for signature - 14 June 1994
entered into force - 5 August 1998
objective - to provide for a further reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes
parties - (23) Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic,Denmark, EU, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia,Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (5) Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary AirPollution on Persistent Organic Pollutants
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
opened for signature - 24 June 1998, but not yet in force
objective - to provide for the control and reduction of emissions of persistent organic pollutants in order to reduce their transboundary fluxes so as to protect human health and the environment from adverse effects
parties - (8) Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (28) Armenia,Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, EU, Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia,Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, UK, US
Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary AirPollution on the Reduction of Sulfur Emissions or Their TransboundaryFluxes by at Least 30%
note - abbreviated as Air Pollution-Sulfur 85
opened for signature - 8 July 1985
entered into force - 2 September 1987
objective - to provide for a 30% reduction in sulfur emissions or transboundary fluxes by 1993
parties - (22) Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, CzechRepublic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy,Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Slovakia,Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine
Ship Pollution
see Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL)
Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space, and Under Water
note - abbreviated as Nuclear Test Ban
opened for signature - 5 August 1963
entered into force - 10 October 1963
objective - to obtain an agreement on general and complete disarmament under strict international control in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations; to put an end to the armaments race and eliminate incentives for the production and testing of all kinds of weapons, including nuclear weapons
parties - (113) Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia,Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma,Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, ElSalvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, South Korea,Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi,Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Samoa, SanMarino, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Togo, Tonga,Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US, Venezuela, Zambia
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (17) Algeria,Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, Ethiopia, Haiti, Libya, Mali,Pakistan, Paraguay, Portugal, Somalia, Tanzania, Uruguay, Vietnam,Yemen
Tropical Timber 83
see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983
Tropical Timber 94
see International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS)
note - abbreviated as Law of the Sea
opened for signature - 10 December 1982
entered into force - 16 November 1994
objective - to set up a comprehensive new legal regime for the sea and oceans; to include rules concerning environmental standards as well as enforcement provisions dealing with pollution of the marine environment
parties - (145) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, The Bahamas, Bahrain,Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burma, Cameroon,Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Comoros, Democratic Republic of theCongo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus,Czech Republic, Djibouti, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, EU, Fiji,Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras,Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica,Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon,Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Monaco,Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ,Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua NewGuinea, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania,Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and theGrenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbiaand Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia,Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen,Zambia, Zimbabwe
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (29) Afghanistan,Belarus, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Colombia, Republic of the Congo, Denmark, DominicanRepublic, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Lesotho, Liberia,Libya, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Niue, Rwanda, Swaziland,Switzerland, Thailand, UAE
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those CountriesExperiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly inAfrica
note - abbreviated as Desertification
opened for signature - 14 October 1994
entered into force - 26 December 1996
objective - 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
parties - (178) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua andBarbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, TheBahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma,Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Coted'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti,Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, EquatorialGuinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, TheGambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India,Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan,Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands,Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova,Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal,Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman,Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, SaintLucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tomeand Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain,Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
note - abbreviated as Climate Change
opened for signature - 9 May 1992
entered into force - 21 March 1994
objective - to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a low enough level to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system
parties - (186) Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda,Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan,Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, BurkinaFaso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica,Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, EU, Fiji, Finland,France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada,Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica,Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea,Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya,Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States ofMicronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia,Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway,Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, SaintKitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa,San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia andMontenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia,Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname,Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu,Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela,Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
countries that have signed, but not yet ratified - (2) Afghanistan, Liberia
Wetlands
see Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially As Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar)
Whaling
see International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
This page was last updated on 9 December, 2004
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Appendix D - Cross-Reference List of Country Data Codes
FIPS 10-4: Countries, Dependencies, Areas of Special Sovereignty, and Their Principal Administrative Divisions (FIPS PUB 10-4) is maintained by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues (Department of State) and published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce). FIPS 10-4 codes are intended for general use throughout the US Government, especially in activities associated with the mission of the Department of State and national defense programs.
ISO 3166: Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries (ISO 3166) is prepared by the International Organization for Standardization. ISO 3166 includes two- and three-character alphabetic codes and three-digit numeric codes that may be needed for activities involving exchange of data with international organizations that have adopted that standard. Except for the numeric codes, ISO 3166 codes have been adopted in the US as FIPS 104-1: American National Standard Codes for the Representation of Names of Countries, Dependencies, and Areas of Special Sovereignty for Information Interchange.
Internet: The Internet country code is the two-letter digraph maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166 Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).
Entity FIPS 10-4 —- ISO 3166 — Internet Comment
Afghanistan AF AF AFG 004 .afAlbania AL AL ALB 008 .alAlgeria AG DZ DZA 012 .dzAmerican Samoa AQ AS ASM 016 .asAndorra AN AD AND 020 .adAngola AO AO AGO 024 .aoAnguilla AV AI AIA 660 .aiAntarctica AY AQ ATA 010 .aqISO defines as the territory south of 60 degrees south latitude
Antigua and Barbuda AC AG ATG 028 .agArgentina AR AR ARG 032 .arArmenia AM AM ARM 051 .amAruba AA AW ABW 533 .awAshmore andCartier Islands AT - - - -ISO includes with Australia
Australia AS AU AUS 036 .auISO includes Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands
Austria AU AT AUT 040 .atAzerbaijan AJ AZ AZE 031 .azBahamas, The BF BS BHS 044 .bsBahrain BA BH BHR 048 .bhBaker Island FQ UM UMI 581 -ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands
Bangladesh BG BD BGD 050 .bdBarbados BB BB BRB 052 .bbBassas da India BS - - - -ISO includes with the Miscellaneous (French) Indian Ocean Islands
Belarus BO BY BLR 112 .byBelgium BE BE BEL 056 .beBelize BH BZ BLZ 084 .bzBenin BN BJ BEN 204 .bjBermuda BD BM BMU 060 .bmBhutan BT BT BTN 064 .btBolivia BL BO BOL 068 .boBosnia andHerzegovina BK BA BIH 070 .baBotswana BC BW BWA 072 .bwBouvet Island BV BV BVT 074 .bvBrazil BR BR BRA 076 .brBritish IndianOcean Territory IO IO IOT 086 .ioBritish VirginIslands VI VG VGB 092 .vgBrunei BX BN BRN 096 .bnBulgaria BU BG BGR 100 .bgBurkina Faso UV BF BFA 854 .bfBurma BM MM MMR 104 .mmISO uses the name Myanmar
Burundi BY BI BDI 108 .biCambodia CB KH KHM 116 .khCameroon CM CM CMR 120 .cmCanada CA CA CAN 124 .caCape Verde CV CV CPV 132 .cvCayman Islands CJ KY CYM 136 .kyCentral AfricanRepublic CT CF CAF 140 .cfChad CD TD TCD 148 .tdChile CI CL CHL 152 .clChina CH CN CHN 156 .cnsee also Taiwan
Christmas Island KT CX CXR 162 .cxClipperton Island IP - - - -ISO includes with French Polynesia
Cocos (Keeling)Islands CK CC CCK 166 .ccColombia CO CO COL 170 .coComoros CN KM COM 174 .kmCongo, DemocraticRepublic of the CG CD COD 180 .cdformerly Zaire
Congo,Republic of the CF CG COG 178 .cgCook Islands CW CK COK 184 .ckCoral Sea Islands CR - - - -ISO includes with Australia
Costa Rica CS CR CRI 188 .crCote d'Ivoire IV CI CIV 384 .ciCroatia HR HR HRV 191 .hrCuba CU CU CUB 192 .cuCyprus CY CY CYP 196 .cyCzech Republic EZ CZ CZE 203 .czDenmark DA DK DNK 208 .dkDjibouti DJ DJ DJI 262 .djDominica DO DM DMA 212 .dmDominican Republic DR DO DOM 214 .doEast Timor TT TL TLS 626 .tpEcuador EC EC ECU 218 .ecEgypt EG EG EGY 818 .egEl Salvador ES SV SLV 222 .svEquatorial Guinea EK GQ GNQ 226 .gqEritrea ER ER ERI 232 .erEstonia EN EE EST 233 .eeEthiopia ET ET ETH 231 .etEuropa Island EU - - - -ISO includes with the Miscellaneous (French) Indian Ocean Islands
Falkland Islands(Islas Malvinas) FK FK FLK 238 .fkFaroe Islands FO FO FRO 234 .foFiji FJ FJ FJI 242 .fjFinland FI FI FIN 246 .fiFrance FR FR FRA 250 .frFrance,Metropolitan - FX FXX 249 .fxISO limits to the European part of France, excluding FrenchGuiana, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands,Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, SaintPierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna
French Guiana FG GF GUF 254 .gfFrench Polynesia FP PF PYF 258 .pfISO includes Clipperton Island
French Southernand AntarcticLands FS TF ATF 260 .tfFIPS 10-4 does not include the French-claimed portion ofAntarctica (Terre Adelie)
Gabon GB GA GAB 266 .gaGambia, The GA GM GMB 270 .gmGaza Strip GZ - - - -Georgia GG GE GEO 268 .geGermany GM DE DEU 276 .deGhana GH GH GHA 288 .ghGibraltar GI GI GIB 292 .giGlorioso Islands GO - - - -ISO includes with the Miscellaneous (French) Indian Ocean Islands
Greece GR GR GRC 300 .grGreenland GL GL GRL 304 .glGrenada GJ GD GRD 308 .gdGuadeloupe GP GP GLP 312 .gpGuam GQ GU GUM 316 .guGuatemala GT GT GTM 320 .gtGuernsey GK - - - .ggISO includes with the UK
Guinea GV GN GIN 324 .gnGuinea-Bissau PU GW GNB 624 .gwGuyana GY GY GUY 328 .gyHaiti HA HT HTI 332 .htHeard Island andMcDonald Islands HM HM HMD 334 .hmHoly See(Vatican City) VT VA VAT 336 .vaHonduras HO HN HND 340 .hnHong Kong HK HK HKG 344 .hkHowland Island HQ UM UMI 581 -ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands
Hungary HU HU HUN 348 .huIceland IC IS ISL 352 .isIndia IN IN IND 356 .inIndonesia ID ID IDN 360 .idIran IR IR IRN 364 .irIraq IZ IQ IRQ 368 .iqIreland EI IE IRL 372 .ieIsrael IS IL ISR 376 .ilItaly IT IT ITA 380 .itJamaica JM JM JAM 388 .jmJan Mayen JN SJ SJM 744 -ISO includes with Svalbard
Japan JA JP JPN 392 .jpJarvis Island DQ UM UMI 581 -ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands
Jersey JE - - - .jeISO includes with the UK
Johnston Atoll JQ UM UMI 581 -ISO includes with the US Minor Outlying Islands