Laws and Treaties - Environmental Science - page 368

reefs, and human-made sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs, and salt pans. This is the only interna-
tional environmental treaty that addresses one type of ecosystem.
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED) (1992): Reaffirms the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Hu-
man Environment (1972). It created 27 principles to guide sustainable development.
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and
Pesticides in International Trade (PIC) (1998): Aims to protect human and ecosystem health through proper
use of potentially harmful pesticides and industrial chemicals. It also promotes sharing of information and re-
sponsibility.
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) (2004): Established to ban or phase out 12
of the worst persistent organic pollutants (POPs), including DDT, eight other pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, and
furans. These were called the "dirty dozen."
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD) (1994): Hopes to reduce desertification and the effects of
drought through international cooperation on issues of conservation, rehabilitation, and sustainable develop-
ment. It focuses especially on areas with large drought issues, including Africa.
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) (1982): Establishes rules for the many uses of the ocean
and its resources and addresses multiple issues in the world's oceans including piracy, navigational rights, eco-
nomic rights, pollution, scientific research, and preserving marine organisms. It is one of the longest treaties in
history.
UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making, and Access to
Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) (1998): Creates public access to environmental in-
formation, public involvement in environmental decision-making, and public access to impartial review pro-
cesses.
UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA) (1995): Focuses on the long-term conservation and sustainable use of
migratory ocean fisheries, aiming to improve the management of these fisheries. It stresses the precautionary
principle and the interconnectedness of ecosystems as well as the obligation of nations to monitor fishing activ-
ities, pollution, and waste in international waters. This agreement addresses issues that were omitted or not suf-
ficiently covered by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (1992): Established to address climate change
and stresses international cooperation and collaboration to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmo-
sphere. The updated version of this convention is the Kyoto Protocol.