A Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) is a legally binding agreement between three or more states relating to the environment. These international treaties are predominantly established by the United Nations (UN).
MEAs under the Ministry of Planning and Development
In Trinidad and Tobago, MEAs are coordinated by the MEA Unit (MEAU) which falls within the EPPD of the Ministry of Planning, Economic Affairs and Development. There are three general categories of MEAs: climate change and ozone, biodiversity and waste, representing the mechanisms through which global environmental issues are addressed. The Conventions under the purview of the MEAU are:
Biodiversity
- United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES)
- Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Climate Change
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its Kyoto Protocol
- The Paris Agreement
Ozone
- Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, its Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment
Chemicals & Waste
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
- Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in international trade
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
