International Agreements

Since the late 1970s UNEP-WCMC has delivered services that support implementation of international biodiversity-related agreements at global, regional and national levels. These services not only support the work of the agreement secretariats, but also of the advisory and governance bodies, and of governments party to the various agreements.

The breadth of this work is described in a six page paper Improving International Environmental Governance: 30 years supporting the Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and a range of the products and services provided by UNEP-WCMC can be accessed from the following:

• Data management and analysis services for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and support for the implementation of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulation.
  
  
• A broad range of support for implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity including the following:
  
  
  • facilitating assessment of achievement of globally adopted goals and targets through the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
  • working with the CBD Secretariat on both editions of the Global Biodiversity Outlook and on the GreenFacts Digest of Global Biodiversity Outlook 2
  • building capacity at the national level on Biodiversity Indicators for National Use working with partners in Ecuador, Indonesia, Kenya and Ukraine
  • developing guidelines for assessing biodiversity impact of trade liberalization in the agriculture sector
    
    
• Support to the Convention on Migratory Species and its Annex II agreements through the following types of activities:
  
  
  • design and maintenance of the CMS Information Management System based on listed species, information submitted by parties, and national reports
  • hosting the Convention on Migratory Species and the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement websites
  • development and management of the marine turtle interactive mapping system for the IOSEA Marine Turtle MoU
  • development and management of the species interactive mapping system for the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement
    
    
• Support to UNESCO in the evaluation of World Heritage sites, and support to a number of conventions through information in the World Database on Protected Areas
  
  
• Because of extensive work with conventions on reporting and information management, the Centre is well placed to support increased harmonization, for example through:
  
  
  • support to biodiversity-related conventions and programmes in their work towards harmonization of information management and national reporting
  • development of tools to support more coherent implementation of conventions at the national level through the tematea project
  • working with convention secretariats on means for improved knowledge management, including development of a portal for integrated information access
    
    
• As a UN-linked organization with strong experience in biodiversity issues, the Centre is also well placed to collaborate in highlighting new issues, for example:
  
  
  • In 2003 UNEP-WCMC planned and implemented a conference on 2010 – The Global Biodiversity Challenge with the CBD Secretariat and UNDP
  • UNEP-WCMC is running a series of regional workshops on timber tree species in international trade
  • UNEP-WCMC is strongly promoting opportunities for achievement of multiple benefits through reducing emissions from deforestation
    
    
• Finally the Centre also has a range of past projects relevant to current implementation, including, for example, one carried out in 1999-2002 to develop and implement methods for better assessment of CBD implementation at national and regional levels