The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Resolution VIII.24 on UNEP Guidelines for MEAs

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Resolution VIII.24

UNEP's Guidelines for enhancing compliance with
multilateral environmental agreements, and Guidelines for national enforcement, and international cooperation in combating violations, of laws implementing multilateral environmental agreements

1. NOTING the difficulties encountered by many Contracting Parties in implementing multilateral environmental agreements, including the Convention on Wetlands, due, inter alia, to limited institutional capacity and resources in the areas of reporting, monitoring, and verification; and

2. RECALLING that paragraph 49 of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development calls for urgent action at all levels inter alia to actively promote corporate responsibility and accountability, based on the Rio Principles, including through the full development and effective implementation of intergovernmental agreements and measures; and

3. WELCOMING the adoption by the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at its Seventh Special Session of the Guidelines for enhancing compliance with multilateral environmental agreements and of the Guidelines for national enforcement, and international cooperation in combating violations, of laws implementing multilateral environmental agreements (Decision SSVII/4) [http://www.unep.org/governingbodies/gc/specialsessions/gcss_vii/];

THE CONFERENCE OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

4. INVITES Contracting Parties to make use, as appropriate, of the assistance these guidelines provide in enhancing and supporting compliance with multilateral environmental agreements, including the Ramsar Convention; and

5. REQUESTS the Ramsar Bureau to continue to work with the Executive Director of UNEP in efforts to include Administrative Authorities of the Ramsar Convention in activities designed to strengthen the capacity of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, and countries with economies in transition in the areas of compliance with and enforcement of multilateral environmental agreements.

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 24 January 2003, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.