International Convention Codes

1  Ramsar (Wetlands)

Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (1971)

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat was adopted on 2 February 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar and entered into force on 21 December 1975. It was the first of the modern global intergovernmental treaties concerned with the conservation and wise use of natural resources. However, compared with more recent conventions, its provisions are relatively uncomplicated and general. Over the years, the Conference of the Contracting Parties has further developed and interpreted the basic tenets of the treaty text to keep the work of the Convention abreast of changing world perceptions, priorities, and trends in environmental thinking.

The official name of the treaty, The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, reflects its original emphasis on the conservation and wise use of wetlands primarily to provide habitat for waterbirds. Over the years, however, the Convention has broadened its scope to cover all aspects of wetland conservation and wise use, recognizing wetlands as ecosystems that are extremely important for biodiversity conservation and for the well-being of human communities.

2 World Heritage Convention

Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972)

The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted in Paris on 16 November 1972, and came into force on 17 December 1975. The Convention is based on the concept of "common heritage" which maintains that there are certain outstanding natural and man-made features which are more than the heritage of one State alone: they are part of the heritage of all people and we all have rights with respect to their conservation. The Convention, therefore, provides for the designation of natural and/or cultural areas of "outstanding universal value" as world heritage sites, with the principal aim of fostering international co-operation in safeguarding these important areas. Sites must be nominated by the signatory nation that has territorial jurisdiction over them, and they are then evaluated for their world heritage quality before being declared by the World Heritage Committee. Only natural heritage sites are considered here in detail.

3 UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves

UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserves Programme (1976)

The establishment of biosphere reserves is not covered by a specific convention, but is part of an international scientific programme, the Unesco Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme.  The objectives of the network of biosphere reserves, and the characteristics which biosphere reserves might display, are identified in various Unesco-MAB documents, including the Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves published in 1984.

Biosphere Reserves differ from the preceding types of site in that they are not exclusively designated to protect unique areas or important wetlands, but for a range of objectives which include research, monitoring, training and demonstration, as well as conservation roles.  In most cases the human component is vital to the functioning of the biosphere reserve, which does not necessarily hold for either World Heritage or Ramsar sites.  A further fundamental difference is the stated aim of developing a biosphere reserve network representative of the world's ecosystems.
 

23 Helsinki Convention

Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (1974)


The Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention) was signed in 1974 by the coastal states of the Baltic Sea at that time and entered into force in 1980. In 1992, a new Helsinki Convention was signed by all the countries bordering on the Baltic Sea and by the European Economic Community. This entered into force in January 2000.

The Helsinki Convention, issued to protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea, was the first international agreement to cover all sources of pollution, both from land and from ships as well as airborne.

The text of the 1974 Convention did not include provisions for nature conservation and biodiversity issues. This was addressed in the 1992 Convention by the inclusion of Article 15 stating that Contracting Parties shall individually take all appropriate measures with respect to the Baltic Sea Area and its coastal ecosystems influenced by the Baltic Sea to conserve natural habitats and biological diversity and to protect ecological processes.

24 Barcelona Convention

Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution (1976)


The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) strives to protect the environment and to foster development in the Mediterranean Basin. It was adopted in Barcelona, Spain in 1975 by 16 Mediterranean States and the EC, under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Its legal framework comprises the Barcelona Convention adopted in 1976, ratified in 1978 and revised in 1995, and six Protocols covering specific aspects of environmental protection.

The Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (Geneva Protocol) was adopted in 1982. This Geneva Protocol will be replaced by the 1995 Barcelona Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, when the later will enter into force.

25  Biogenetic Reserve

European Network of Biogenetic Reserves (1976)


The Council of Europe launched the concept of a European Network of Biogenetic Reserves in 1973 at the European Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Vienna (Austria). The programme was started in 1976.
Member States agreed to co-operate in the creation of a programme for the conservation of representative examples of the natural habitats that are especially valuable for nature conservation in Europe.
The Network provides Member States of the Council of Europe and European States non members of the Council of Europe with a framework for international co-operation in a policy for establishing protected areas to complement and strengthen each other in safeguarding the biological diversity of Europe.

26  European Diploma

Type 'A' European Diploma (Council of Europe)



The European Diploma was created in 1965 by Resolution (65) 6 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Regulations for its award and apraisal were adopted in 1973 (Resolution 73/4) and amended later.
The Regulations of the European Diploma of Protected Areas, now contained in Resolution (98) 29 adopted on 18 September 1998, institute this diploma for certain landscapes, reserves and protected national features.

By awarding the European Diploma, the Council of Europe recognises that the area is of particular European interest from the natural-heritage standpoint; and that the area is properly protected. The Diploma can be awarded to national parks, nature reserves or natural areas, sites or features.

27 Birds Directive

The European Communities Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/EEC) (1979)

The Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds 79/409/EEC (known as "the Birds Directive) was adopted on 2 April 1979 and imposes strict legal obligations on Member States of the European Union. Its objectives are to maintain populations of naturally occurring wild birds, regulate the trade in birds, limit hunting to species able to sustain exploitation, and prohibit certain methods of capture and killing. It also recognises that "the preservation, maintenance and restoration of a sufficient diversity and area of habitats is essential to the conservation of all species of birds". Thus, Member States are required to classify the most suitable territories in number and size as special protection areas (SPAs) for the conservation of the species listed in Annex I of the Directive. The sites listed will form part of the coherent ecological network known as the Natura 2000 network.

34 European Diploma

Type 'B' The European Diploma (Council of Europe)

 

35 European Diploma

Type 'C' The European Diploma (Council of Europe)