| Treaty | Signed/Into force | Major Points |
| Aarhus Convention on Access to information for public participation in decision making and access to justice in environmental matters | 1998 | Aarhus is a Danish city
Adopted at the fourth ministerial conference in the ‘Environment for Europe’ process Links environmental rights and human rights
India – No |
| Vienna Convention for the protection of Ozone layer | 1985/1988 | Does not include legally binding reduction goals for the use of CFCs
At Vienna Conference |
| Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone layer | 1987/1989 | It is a protocol to the Vienna Convention
“perhaps the single most successful international agreement” – Kofi Annan 196 states ratified Includes CFCs, HCFCs |
| Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal | 1989/1992 | Particularly to prevent waste transfer from Developed to LDCs
175 parties Signed but not ratified: Afghanistan, Haiti, US |
| Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade | 1998/2004 | Rotterdam is a city in Netherlands
Endosulfan is proposed to be added to the list
|
| Stockholm Convention on persistence organic pollutants | 2001/2004 | 173 parties |
| Bamako Convention | 1991/1998 | On the ban on the import into Africa and the Control of movement of Hazardous waste within Africa
Negotiated by 12 nations of Organisation of African Unity at Bamako, Mali |
| The CBD Framework | ||
| Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety | Seeks to protect biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern technology. The Protocol applies to the transboundary movement, transit, handling and use of all living modified organisms that may have adverse effects on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health | |
| Nagoya Protocol | ||
| For Conservation | ||
| CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Aka Washington Convention | 1973/1975 | Under IUCN. Trade in specimen should not threaten the survival of plants and animals. Only one species under it ‘Spix Macaw’ has become extinct in the wild. |
| Convention on Migratory Species aka Bonn Convention | 1979/1983 | To conserve terrestrial, marine and avian migratory species |
| Antarctic Treaty System | 1959/1961 | 12 original members. HQ: Buenos Aires. India joined in 1983. Sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity there. First arms control treaty during the cold war. |
| International Whaling Commission | 1946 | Signed in Washington. Moratorium on whaling adopted in 1986. Following countries havnt adopted the moratorium: Norway, Iceland, Japan. |
| UN Convention to Combat Desertification | 1994 (on the basis of Agenda 21)/1996 | First and only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of desertification.
194 2006: Int. Year of Deserts and Desertification. Non-parties: Iraq, Montenegro, Vatican Secretariat: Rome Meetings: 1st – Rome 1997, 9th – Buenos Aires, 2009 |