Environmental Laws & Policies

Assignment

Group # 5

Submitted to: Mam Sahar Aurangzeb

Submitted by:
Atiqah binte Fayyaz
Bareera Rehman
Maryam Gull
Zoya Shahid
Topics:
 Convention on the transboundary effects of
Industrial
Accidents, Helsinki, 1992.
 European Agreement Concerning the
International
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland
waterways
(AND), Geneva, 2000.
 European Agreement Concerning the
International Carriage of Dangerous Goods
by Road (ANR), Geneva 1957.
 FAO International Code of conduct on
Distribution &
use of pesticides, Rome, 1985.
 Minamata Convention on Mercury,
Minamata, 2013.
 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon tests in the
Atmosphere, in Outer space, and Under
water.

1
Convention on the Transboundary Effects of the
Industrial Accidents, Helsinki 1992.
Introduction & Background:
Industrial accidents can have severe effects on environment and health of common people. Since
the early 1990s the UNICE has focused on preventing industrial accidents and their
transboundary effects in its region. Their work led to the  adoption of the convention on the
transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents on 17 March 1992.. The convention on the
Transboundary effects of Industrial Accidents is a United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (ECE) convention signed in Helsinki, Finland, on 17 March 1992, that entered into
force on 19 April 2000.

Signatories:
 It was signed by 26 UNECE member countries and European union.
 The Conference of the Parties was constituted as the Convention's governing body at its
first meeting in Brussels on 22-24 November 2000.
 As of August 2013, the Convention has 41 parties, including the European
Union,  Russia, and most other countries in all parts of Europe, as well
as Armenia, Azerbaijan and  Kazakhstan.
 The treaty has been signed but not ratified by Canada and the United States.
 At its third meeting, in 2004, the Conference of the Parties adopted an Assistance
program to support the countries from Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia and
South Eastern Europe in implementing the Convention.
 The  Protocol on Civil Liability for Damage and Compensation for Damage Caused by
Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents on Transboundary Waters, was adopted
in Kiev,  Ukraine on 21 May 2003.

2
  The Protocol was signed by 24 European states.

Key objective:
 The Convention is designed to protect people and the environment against industrial
accidents.
 The Convention aims to prevent accidents from occurring, or reducing their frequency
and severity and mitigating their effects if required.
 The Convention promotes active international cooperation between countries, before,
during and after an industrial accident.
 The Convention helps its Parties – that is, States or certain regional organizations that
have agreed to be bound by the Convention – to prevent industrial accidents that can
have transboundary effects and to prepare for, and respond to, accidents if they occur.
 The Convention also encourages its Parties to help each other in the event of an
accident, to cooperate on research and development, and to share information and
technology.

Level of Success:
All the steps that have been taken and implemented in order to prevent the world from different
industrial accidents have proved to be a greater success. In the light of numerous conventions,
keeping in sight the effects of industrial effects in Helsinki, the world has been successful in
preventing other to a far extent.

REFERENCE
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Transboundary_Effects_
of_Industrial_Accidents#:~:text=The%20Convention%20on%20the
%20Transboundary,the%20environment%
 http://www.unece.org/environmental-policy/conventions/industrial-
accidents/about-us/envteiaabout/more.html
 https://treaties.un.org/pages/ViewDetails.aspx?
src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVII-6&chapter=27&clang=_en

3
European Agreement Concerning the
International
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland
Waterways
Introduction:
The European Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland
Waterways (AND) done at Geneva on 26 May 2000 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR)
entered into force on 28 February 2008.
The agreement itself and the annexed regulations in their original version were published n 2001 under
the ECE/TRANS/150. That publications also contains the find Act of the Diplomatic Conference held in
Geneva from 22 to 26 May 2000 during which the Agreement was adopted as well as the text of a
resolution adopted by the Conference.

Signatories:
The Agreement had 18 Contracting parties: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian
Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Other member states of UNECE whose territory
contains inlands waterways, other than those forming a costal line, may also become Contracting parties
to the agreement by acceding to it, on condition that the Inland Waterways are the part of International
Importance as defined in the European Agreement on Main Inland Waterways of International
Importance.

Key takeaway:
ADN consists of a main legal text (the Agreement itself) and annexed Regulations and aims at:

(i) ensuring a high level of safety of international carriage of dangerous goods by inland waterways

4
 (ii contributing effectively to the protection of the environment by preventing any pollution resulting
) from accidents or incidents during such carriage; and

(ii facilitating transport operations and promoting international trade in dangerous goods.
i)

Level of Success:
Since the adoption of agreement in May,2000 a joint meeting of experts has been organized five times by
the UNECE and the CCNR and has adopted amendments to the original annexed regulations (Reports
TRANS/WP.15/AC.2/9, -11/, -13/, -15/, -/15/Add1, -/17, -/17/Add.1 and -17/Add.1/Corr.1)

References
[1] u. nations, "ADN," ECE/TRANS/150, vol. vol. 1, p. 104, 2016.
https://www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/adn/adn_e.html

https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/danger/publi/adn/adn2005/English/ADN2005_vol1_e.pdf

5
European Agreement Concerning the
International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by
Road (ADR), Geneva,1957
Introduction & Background:
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
(ADR) was done at Geneva on 30 September 1957 under the auspices of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe, and it entered into force on 29 January 1968. The Agreement
itself was amended by the Protocol amending article 14 (3) done at New York on 21 August
1975, which entered into force on 19 April 1985.
From 1 January 2021, the treaty will be renamed Agreement concerning the International
Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road as the term "European" in the incorrectly may give the
impression that the treaty is only open for accession to European states.
It was intended to increase the safety of international transport of dangerous goods by road.

Signatories:
There are total 9 signatories of this treaty. They all signed it within 1957. Others have accession
(35 countries) and succession (8 countries) in the time period between 1960 to present.

Key Objectives:
The authoritative agreement is intended to increase the safety of international transport of
dangerous goods by road. They also establish international requirements and procedures for
training and safety obligations of participants.

Level of success:
Governments have a social responsibility to regulate the transport of dangerous goods.
Authorities in various GCC countries have attempted to implement regulations, referencing best
practices, however, none have been successful in establishing, implementing and enforcing a
regulatory framework or are pursuing a standardized GCC wide solution.

References

6
About the ADR-Transport. (n.d.). Retrieved from unece.org
The GCCs Dangerous Goods Road Transport Regulations. (n.d.). Retrieved from gcpa.org.ae
Transportation and public safety. (n.d.). Retrieved from European Agreement concerning the
International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road : www.un-library.org
United Nation Treaty Collection. (2020). Retrieved from treaties.un.org
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from ADR (Treaty): en.wikipedia.org

FAO international code of conduct on

distribution and use of pesticides, Rome, 1985.
7
Introduction & Background:
The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides was one of the
first voluntary Codes of Conduct in support of increased food security, while at the same time
protecting human health and the environment. It was adopted in 1985 by the FAO Conference
at its Twenty-third Session, and was subsequently amended to include provisions for the Prior
Informed Consent (PIC) procedure at the Twenty-fifth Session of the FAO Conference in 1989.
The Code established voluntary standards of conduct for all public and private entities engaged
in, or associated with, the distribution and use of pesticides, and since its adoption has served as
the globally accepted standard for pesticide management.
Since the first adoption of the Code of Conduct in 1985, several other international instruments
dealing directly or indirectly with pesticides or pesticide management have come into force. The
most important of these are the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure
for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (Rotterdam
Convention), the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Stockholm
Convention), the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal (Basel Convention), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer (Montreal Protocol) and the International Labour Organization Convention No. 184 on
Safety and Health in Agriculture (ILO Convention 184). Other relevant developments have
included the launch of a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
and the adoption of a new Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of
Chemicals (GHS), which is intended to standardize and harmonize the classification and
labelling of chemicals.

Signatories:
72 signatories are done for this convention signed on 10september1998 but effective on
2004. In 2012 the secretariats of the Basel and Stockholm conventions as well as the UNEP part
of the Rotterdam convention Secretariat, merged to a single Secretariat with a matrix structure
serving the three conventions. The ninth meeting of the Rotterdam Conference was held from 29
April to 10 may 2019 in Swizerland.

Key Objectives:
o The objective of this code are to establish voluntary standards of conduct for all public
and private entities engaged in or associated with the distribution and use of pesticides,
particularly where there is inadequate or no national legislation to regulate pesticides.

o Ensure that pesticides are used effectively and efficiently for the improvement of
agriculture production and of human, animal and plant health.

Level of success:
8
Implementation of PSMS
FAO’s current plans are to move the PSMS to a less expensive and more reliable
platform, and to develop a new component to cover agricultural inputs. The latter is intended to
support a new methodology FAO is piloting in Benin to identify where best practice is being
used and what it is. This PSMS enhancement has been named “agricultural inputs monitoring
and management system” (AIMMS).

References:
1. FAO. 1990. “International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides
(Amended Version), Rome: FAO. [Google Scholar]

2. http://www.fao.org/ag/agp/agpp/pesticidies

Minamata Convention on Mercury,2013

Introduction & Background:
In 2001, the Governing Council of UNEP invited the Executive Director of UNEP to undertake a global
assessment of mercury and its compounds. In 2003, the Governing Council considered this assessment
and found that there was sufficient evidence of significant global adverse impacts from mercury and its
compounds to warrant further international action to reduce the risks to human health and the
environment. Governments were urged to adopt goals for the reduction of mercury emissions and
releases and UNEP initiated technical assistance and capacity building activities to meet these goals.

9
In the decision of 2007, the Governing Council concluded that the options of enhanced voluntary
measures and new or existing international legal instruments would be reviewed and assessed in order to
make progress in addressing the mercury issue.
In 2009, following extensive consideration of the issue, the Governing Council agreed that voluntary
actions to date had not been sufficient to address the concerns on mercury, and decided on the need for
further action on mercury, including the preparation of a global legally binding instrument. An
intergovernmental negotiating was therefore established, to commence its work in 2010 and conclude
negotiations prior to the twenty-seventh session of the Governing Council in 2013.
In January 2013, the intergovernmental negotiating committee concluded its fifth session by agreeing on
the text of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The text was adopted by the Conference of
Plenipotentiaries on 10 October 2013 in Japan and was opened for signature thereafter.

Signatories:
128 signatories are done for this convention from 2013 to present. 86 signatures were done on 10th
October,2013. 4 on 11th October,2013. Then in 2014, 34 signatures were done by different countries.
Many of the countries have acceptance (5), approval (2) and accession (23). No decision is yet taken for
40 signatories and rest has ratification. Pakistan also signed this convention on 10th October,2013 but its
ratification is yet not done.

Key Objectives:
Minamata convention include 35 articles. In their first article they have clearly stated the
objective of the convention which is as follows:

“to protect the human health and the environment from

anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and
mercury compounds.”

Level of success:
Present science has not yet developed reliable models for forecasting long-term changes in mercury
levels resulting from emissions reductions that take into account the full complexities of mercury in the
environment. Pending the availability of suitable confirmed multi-media models, the integrated
assessment report is to be postponed until after the first effectiveness evaluation cycle. However,
Implementation of the Minamata Convention globally, is therefore, expected to result in significant
benefits to public health as well as related economic and social benefits, and to contribute to the renewed
sustainable development agenda.

References:
Europe, W. (n.d.). Minamata convention on mercury.

Lennett, D. (n.d.). Minamata Convention on mercury-NRDC.

(2019). Minamata Convention on Mercury draft report.

10
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Treaty Banning Nuclear Test in the Atmosphere,

in
Outer space, & in under Water.
Introduction:
The  Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) is the abbreviated name of the 1963 Treaty Banning
Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, which prohibited
all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground. It is also
abbreviated as the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) and  Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT),
though the latter may also refer to the  Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which
succeeded the PTBT for ratifying parties

11
In 1952–53, the US and Soviet Union detonated their first thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen
bombs), far more powerful than the atomic bombs  tested and deployed since 1945.[2][3] In 1954,
the US Castle Bravo  test at Bikini Atoll  (part of  Operation Castle) had a yield of 15 megatons
of TNT. The Castle Bravo test resulted in the worst radiological event in US history as
radioactive particles spread over more than 11,000 square kilometers (4,200 sq mi), affected
inhabited areas and sickened Japanese fishermen aboard the Lucky Dragon upon whom "ashes
of death" had rained. In the same year, a Soviet test sent radioactive particles over
Japan. Around the same time, victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima visited the US for
medical care, which attracted significant public attention. In 1961, the Soviet Union tested
the Tsar Bomba, which had a yield of 50 megatons and remains the most powerful man-made
explosion in history, though due to a highly efficient detonation fallout was relatively
limited. Between 1951 and 1958, the US conducted 166 atmospheric tests, the Soviet Union
conducted 82, and Britain conducted 21; only 22 underground tests were conducted in this
period (all by the US)

Signatories:
The PTBT was signed by the governments of the  Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and
the United States  in  Moscow on 5 August 1963 before it was opened for signature by other
countries. The treaty formally went into effect on 10 October 1963. Since then, 123 other states
have become party to the treaty. Ten states have signed but not ratified the treaty
By 15 April 1964, six months after the PTBT went into effect, more than 100 states had joined
the treaty as signatories and 39 had ratified or acceded to it. The most recent party to the PTBT
is  Montenegro, which succeeded to the treaty in 2006.[169] As of 2015, 126 states were party to
the treaty, with 10 other states having signed but not deposited instruments of ratification. There
are 60 states that have not signed the PTBT, including the nuclear states of China, France,
and  North Korea. Albania, an ideological ally of China during the PTBT's enactment, also has
not signed.

Key Objectives
The Government of the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland and the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics hereinafter referred as
ORIGINAL PARTIES.
Proclaiming as their principle aim the speediest possible achievement of an agreement on
general and complete disarmament under strict international control in accordance with the
objectives of the United Nations which would put an end to the armament race and eliminate the
incentives to the production and testing of all kinds of weapons including nuclear weapons.
(1) Each of the parties to this treaty undertake, to prevent, to prohibits and not to carry out any
nuclear weapons test explosion, at any place under its jurisdiction or control

12
(a) in the atmosphere, beyond its limits, including outer space or under water, including
territorial water or high seas.
(b) In any other environment if such explosion causes radioactive debris to be present outside
the territorial limits of the states under whose jurisdiction or control such explosion is conducted
(2) Each of the parties to this treaty undertakes furthermore to refrain from causing, encouraging, or in
any way participating in the carrying out of any nuclear weapons test explosion, anywhere which would
take place in any of the environment.

Level of Success:
The PTBT was a first of a series of nuclear arms control treaties in the second half of 20th
century. The PTBT has been considered the stepping stone to the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) of 1968, which explicitly referred to the progress
provided by the PTBT. In addition to the NPT, the PTBT was followed within ten years by
the Outer Space Treaty and Treaty of Tlatelolco in 1967, the Seabed Arms Control Treaty  in
1971, and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972. In 1974, the Threshold Test Ban
Treaty  prohibited underground tests with yields above 150 kilotons.
In October 1977, the original parties to the PTBT renewed discussion of a comprehensive test
ban in Geneva. In December 1986, the US indicated support for the "long-term objective" of a
comprehensive ban, followed by the commencement of testing negotiations between the US and
Soviet Union in November 1987. In August 1988,  Indonesia,  Mexico, Peru, Sri
Lanka,  Venezuela, and Yugoslavia petitioned to transform the PTBT into a comprehensive ban
by extending the treaty to underground tests. At a conference on the plan in January 1991, the
US indicated that it would not permit efforts to achieve a comprehensive ban by consensus with
amendments to the PTBT.
Throughout the 1990s, progress accelerated towards a comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT).
Following a series of international meetings on the subject, the UN General Assembly approved
Resolution 50/64, which appealed for states to follow the PTBT and called for conclusion of the
CTBT talks. In September 1996, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty was signed and
superseded the PTBT, but the PTBT is still in effect for states not party to the CTBT. The CTBT
has yet to enter into force, as 8 required states have not ratified the treaty, including the US and
China. France, Russia, and the UK have ratified the CTBT.

References:
hrlibrary.umn.edu/peace/docs/treatynuc1963.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_Nuclear_Test_Ba
n_Treaty

13
14