Multilateral Environmental Agreements

INTRODUCTION

As a sovereign member of the international community of nations, and as a country committed to environmental conservation, it is important that the Royal Government is well represented at international and regional environmental arena (National Environment Commission Secretariat, 2002). The National Environment Commission Secretariat (NECS) as a key environmental policy making body of the country thus has obligations to participate in various international meetings relating to conventions and agreements that Bhutan has signed or ratified and other regional, international, multilateral and bilateral meetings. The first environmental convention negotiated by Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the Final Act and the Law of Sea Conventions signed on 10th December 1982. Since then, the Royal Government have committed to several other conventions. Bhutan is party to twelve Multilateral Environmental Agreements, which are given below  

  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change signed on 11th June 1992 Instrument of Ratification signed on 25th August 1995
  • UN Convention on Biological Diversity signed on 11th June 1992 Instrument of Ratification signed on 25th August 1995
  • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES)Instrument of accession signed on 2nd August 2002, ratified in 2004.
  • Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Instrument of accession signed on 26th August 2002 and now a member after Kyoto came into force from 2005.
  • Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity
  • Instrument of Accession signed on 26th August 2002 and member since….
  • Basel Convention on the control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Instrument of accession signed on 26th August 2002 and Bhutan became party in
    2004
  • UNESCO World Heritage ConventionInstrument of ratification signed on 10th October 2001
  • International Plant Protection Convention (Adherence); came into force for Bhutan on 20th June 1994
  • The Final Act and the Law of Sea Conventions signed on 10th December 1982
  • Statute of the Centre for Science and Technology of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries and other Developing Countries signed on 4th February 1985
  • Statutes of the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology signed on 31st May 1984. Instrument of ratification signed on 15th April 198512.
  • Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer acceded in 200413. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Depletes the Ozone Layer signed in 200414.
  • United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), signed in 1992 and ratified 2004.

Commitment to such environmental conventions is important for it demonstrates that Bhutan is serious in conservation policy; it highlights Bhutan’s environmental profile in the global arena; it demonstrates Bhutan’s commitments to global environmental conservation. It also helps to generate technical and financial support which is imperative for implementing environmental programs in the country The National Environment Commission Secretariat is the focal agency of the following MEAs and its Protocols:

  1. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change:

Bhutan ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 25th August 1995. The main theme of the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that ensures the ecosystem to adapt naturally, food production is not threatened and economic development proceeds in a sustainable manner.

  • As party to the convention, Bhutan has its obligations to respond to the provisions of the convention. Bhutan’s key obligations are to submit periodical national communication highlighting GHG inventory, climate change vulnerabilities and prioritized adaptation measures. As capacity is key to the implementation of the Convention’s provisions, Bhutan is provided with a financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the UNDP to conduct national capacity self assessment and to identity capacity constraints where immediate attention may be required.  

Listing of priority areas that need attention for immediate capacity building
For more details, please do check the UNFCCC website: www.unfccc.int

  1. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, www.unfccc.int
  1. UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Bhutan signed the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity on 11th June 1992 and ratified it on 25th August 1995. Accession to the Cartegena Protocol on Bio-safety was submitted on 26th August 2002. The main aim of the Convention is: 1) conservation of biological diversity; 2) sustainable use of its biological diversity component; and 3) the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources. As party to the Convention, the country has its obligations to respond to the provisions of the Convention.

As capacity is key to the implementation of the convention provisions, Bhutan is provided with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the UNDP to conduct national capacity self assessment and to identify capacity constraints where immediate attention may be required.

For more details, please check: www.cbd.int

  1. Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity

Bhutan also acceded to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on 26 August 2002 during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) at Johannesburg, South Africa.  The Biosafety Protocol is a global system governing the exports and imports of living modified organisms (LOMs) that will affect the vast majority of the world community trade.

As a party to the Cartagena Protocol, NEC has formulated a National Biosafety Framework for Bhutan with the financial assistance from UNEP/GEF in collaboration with various key stakeholders, in particular with the Ministry of Agriculture. The framework will ensure safe transfer, handling and use of living modified organism that may have adverse impact on the biodiversity with specific focus on transboundary movement

For more details, please check: www.cbd.int

  1. Basel Convention on the control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal:

Bhutan ratified the Basel Convention in 2004.

For more details, please check: www.basel.int

  1. Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer acceded in 2004
  2. Montreal Protocol on Substances that Depletes the Ozone Layer signed in 2004

Both the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol was ratified by the 82nd session of the National Assembly in 2004.

The NEC carried out a nationwide survey of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) consumption and finalized the Country Programme and Refrigerant Management Plan including drafting licensing rules and regulations for the control of ODS.

Taking an advantage of the Bhutan accession to the Basel Convention, NEC has initiated and managed to dispose approximately 30 tons of outdated pesticides that have been collected in Paro for number of years for incineration in Switzerland. In appreciation of Bhutan’s speedy accession to the Basel Convention, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation has supported and suggested on handling the disposal of outdated pesticides.

For more details, please check: www.unep.org/ozone