Edward J. Goodwin

Delegate preparation and participation in conferences of the parties to environmental treaties

Abstract Little research has been conducted into the way delegations prepare for, and then participate in, plenary meetings under multi-lateral environmental agreements – a key administrative stage in the on-going development of international environmental regimes and law. Using the 1971 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance as the main example, this paper explores the external rules that shape the ‘internal modalities’ of states and their delegations as they undertake these stages. Other insights into delegate preparation and participation are sought from published accounts and internet based resources.

Conservation of Coral Reefs Under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

It has recently been estimated that coral reefs occupy 284,300 sq. km. of the planet’s surface. This is less than 0.1 per cent of the total surface area. Yet in practical and economic terms, the contribution of coral reefs is disproportionately large. For many human populations, coral reefs have for millennia been the major source of protein for their diets. In some cases, coral rubble and sand has helped to raise land above sea level, enabling human inhabitation. Reefs can also dissipate the force of waves, thus protecting shores and communities. Increasingly, coral reefs as a natural wonder attract tourists from around the globe. Finally, to those in need, coral reefs may bring relief from medical conditions, as scientists explore new organic chemicals present in the coral reef ecosystem. Indeed, a conservative estimate produced in 1997 concluded that coral reefs contributed the equivalent of

International environmental law and the conservation of coral reefs

375 billion p.a., as part of a global total ecosystem value of

The Consequences of Deleting World Heritage Sites

33,268 billion p.a. Therefore, based on these estimates, coral reefs contributed 1.13 per cent of the annual total. Every day, corals, reef structures, and the coral reef ecosystems play an important role in the cycle of life. Natural forms of predation, climate, and erosion balance the reproductive cycle of the ecosystem and its growth. Over

Research Handbook on Biodiversity and Law

Part I: Preliminaries 1. Coral Reefs 2. The Role of International Law 3. International Law and Maritime Jurisdiction Part II: The Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements 4. United Nations Law of the Sea Convention and the Regional Seas Agreements 5. Coral Reefs and the Conservation of Biological Diversity 6. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance 7. Coral Reefs as World Heritage 8. CITES and the Regulation of International Trade in Coral Reef Specimens and Products 9. Coral Reefs and CO2 Emissions Part III: Conclusions 10. Improving Governance

Threatened Species and Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems

Since its entry into force on 17 December 1975, the World Heritage Convention (WHC)1 has endeavoured to protect the most outstanding examples of heritage from around the world. The formulation of such a treaty was in part motivated by the view held by UNESCO that the mobilisation of international aid to safeguard heritage would benefit from a formalised procedure. This was supplemented by a growing belief that there existed throughout the world natural and cultural areas of such value that they should be held in trust for all humankind. These sites were a part of the heritage of everyone, not just the nationals of the endowed states.2 The extension of heritage to incorporate sites of natural significance means that the WHC stands as one of the centrepiece multilateral treaties not only for the protection of cultural heritage, but also within the international environmental law project.3 As at the conclusion of the most recent meeting convened under the Convention’s auspices in June 2009, 176 natural heritage sites (eg the Galapagos), 689 cultural heritage sites (eg the Great Wall of China) and 25 mixed natural and cultural heritage sites (eg the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu) enjoyed global recognition and protection under the treaty.