June 1948
aim - to supervise the 1948 Arab-Israeli cease-fire; currently supports
timely deployment of reinforcements to other peacekeeping operations in
the region as needed; initially established by the UN Security Council
members - (23) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile,
China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Nepal,
Netherlands, NZ, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden,
Switzerland, US
United Nations Trusteeship Council: established on 26 June 1945,
effective on 24 October 1945, to supervise the administration of the 11
UN trust territories; members were China, France, Russia, UK, US; it
formally suspended operations 1 November 1995 after the Trust Territory
of the Pacific Islands (Palau) became the Republic of Palau, a
constitutional government in free association with the US; the
Trusteeship Council was not dissolved
United Nations University (UNU): established - 3 December 1973
aim - to conduct research in development, welfare, and human survival
and to train scholars
members - (24 members of UNU Council and the Rector are appointed by
the Secretary General of the United Nations and the Director General of
UNESCO)
Universal Postal Union (UPU): established - 9 October 1874, affiliated
with the UN 15 November 1947; effective - 1 July 1948
aim - to promote international postal cooperation; a UN specialized
agency
members - (191) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau (189
total); plus Holy See and Overseas Territories of the UK; note -
includes the following dependencies or areas of special interest:
Australia (Norfolk Island), China (Hong Kong, Macau), Denmark (Faroe
Islands, Greenland), France (French Polynesia including Clipperton
Island, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, New Caledonia,
Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Scattered
Islands [Bassas da India, Europe, Juan de Nova, Glorioso Islands,
Tromelin], Wallis and Futuna), Netherlands (Aruba, Netherlands
Antilles), NZ (Cook Island, Niue, Tokelau), UK (Guernsey, Isle of Man,
Jersey; Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,
Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and South
Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos), US (American Samoa, Guam, Northern
Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands)
Warsaw Pact (WP): established 14 May 1955 to promote mutual defense;
members met 1 July 1991 to dissolve the alliance; member states at the
time of dissolution were: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland,
Romania, and the USSR; earlier members included German Democratic
Republic (GDR) and Albania
West African Development Bank (WADB): note - also known as Banque
Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (BOAD); is a financial institution of
WAEMU
established - 14 November 1973
aim - to promote regional economic development and integration
regional members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-
Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU): note - also known as
Union Economique et Monetaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA)
established - 1 August 1994
aim - to increase competitiveness of members' economic markets; to
create a common market
members - (8) Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali,
Niger, Senegal, Togo
Western European Union (WEU): established - 23 October 1954; effective
- 6 May 1955
aim - to provide mutual defense and to move toward political
unification
members - (10) Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK
associate members - (6) Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Norway,
Poland, Turkey
associate partners - (7) Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia
observers - (5) Austria, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Sweden
World Bank Group: includes International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA),
International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
World Confederation of Labor (WCL): established 19 June 1920 as the
International Federation of Christian Trade Unions (IFCTU), renamed 4
October 1968; aim was to promote the trade union movement; on 31
October 2006 it merged with the International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions (ICFTU) to form the International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC); members were (105 national organizations) Antigua
and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada,
Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
El Salvador, France, French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana,
Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong,
Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea,
Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia,
Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles,
Nicaragua, Niger, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago,
Ukraine, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
World Customs Organization (WCO): note - began as the Customs
Cooperation Council (CCC)
established - 15 December 1950
aim - to promote international cooperation in customs matters
members - (175) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin,
Bermuda, 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, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, EC, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The
Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana,
Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran,
Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria,
Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru,
Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint
Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Uzbekistan,
Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU): established - 3 October 1945
aim - to promote the trade union movement
members - (174 and the Palestine Liberation Organization) Afghanistan,
Albania, Algeria, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain,
Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan,
Bolivia, Bonaire, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British
Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African
Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote
d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France,
French Guiana, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan,
Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos,
Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovo, Monaco,
Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, New Caledonia, NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway,
Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,
Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
Saint Barthelemy, Saint Eustatius, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Martaan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San
Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia,
Somaliland, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tahiti, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, US Virgin Islands,
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna,
Western Sahara, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Palestine Liberation
Organization
World Food Program (WFP): established - 24 November 1961
aim - to provide food aid in support of economic development or
disaster relief; an ECOSOC organization
members - (36) selected on a rotating basis from all regions
World Health Organization (WHO): established - 22 July 1946; effective
- 7 April 1948
aim - to deal with health matters worldwide; a UN specialized agency
members - (193) includes all UN member countries except Liechtenstein
(191 total); plus Cook Islands and Niue
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 - (184) includes all UN member countries except Kiribati,
Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Solomon
Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu (183 total); plus Holy See
World Meteorological Organization (WMO): established - 11 October
1947; effective - 4 April 1951
aim - to sponsor meteorological cooperation; a UN specialized agency
members - (188) includes all UN member countries except Andorra,
Equatorial Guinea, Grenada, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru,
Palau, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San
Marino, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu (180 total); plus Aruba and the Netherlands
Antilles, British Caribbean Territories, Cook Islands, French
Polynesia, Hong Kong, Macau, New Caledonia, and Niue
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO): established - 2 January 1975
aim - to promote tourism as a means of contributing to economic
development, international understanding, and peace
members - (154) Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola,
Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas,
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad,
Chile, China, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the 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, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Lithuania,
Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta,
Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,
Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger,
Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda,
San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia,
Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania,
Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda,
Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia,
Zimbabwe
associate members - (7) Aruba, Flanders, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira
Islands, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico
observers - (1 plus Palestine Liberation Organization) Holy See,
Palestine Liberation Organization
World Trade Organization (WTO): note - succeeded General Agreement on
Tariff 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 - (153) Albania, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina,
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium,
Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina
Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central
African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, 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, EC, Fiji, Finland,
France, Gabon, The Gambia, 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, Macedonia, Madagascar,
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, 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, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine,
UAE, UK, US, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe
observers - (30) Afghanistan, Algeria, Andorra, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Equatorial
Guinea, Ethiopia, Holy See, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon,
Liberia, Libya, Montenegro, Russia, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe,
Serbia, Seychelles, Sudan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Yemen; note
- with the exception of the Holy See, an observer 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 - (36) Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, China, Croatia, 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
observers - (1) European Commission
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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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-Sulphur 85
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or Their Transboundary
Fluxes by at least 30%
Air Pollution-Sulphur 94
see Protocol to the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution on Further Reduction of Sulphur 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 Hazardous
Wastes 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 - (167) 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, Central
African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic
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, 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, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico,
Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro,
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, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles,
Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan,
Swaziland, 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
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 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