Multilateral Environmental Agreements

BACKGROUND

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) play a critical role in the overall framework of environmental laws and conventions. Complementing national legislation and bilateral or regional agreements, MEAs form the over-arching international legal basis for global efforts to address particular environmental issues. 

DELC, in close cooperation with the MEA Secretariats (who oversee the advancement of the major environmental conventions including any subsequent Protocols) and stakeholders, provides support to States towards the implementation of MEAs. In particular, improving compliance with and enforcement of MEAs is a key focus of DELC’s work within UNEP.  DELC also focuses on facilitating synergies and inter-linkages among environmental conventions, as well as enhancing effective participation in regional and global environmental fora, including Conferences and Meetings of the Parties (COP/MOPs). 

Whilst other sub-programmes within UNEP and UN agencies are mandated to strengthen the implementation of individual MEAs (such as UNEP’s climate change sub-programme and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) DELC works more broadly across MEAs, which have been categorised under the following thematic areas:

• Biodiversity- and Land-related
  
  
• Climate- and Atmosphere-related
  
  
• Chemicals and Waste

Source: http://www.unep.org/delc/MEAImplementationSupport/tabid/54401/Default.aspx (latest update 19/11/2015)