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Today there are more than 500 international treaties and other agreements related to the environment. About two- thirds of these are regional in nature. Most MEAs have been negotiated since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (also known as the Stockholm Conference) in 19729

. Several global and regional MEAs are

relevant to the Arctic. There also exist a few MEAs, which contain an exclusive Arctic scope, such as the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, signed by all Arctic nations that have polar bear populations, and the Agreement between the Governments of the United States and Canada on the Conservation of the Porcupine Caribou Herd.

The objectives, priorities, and levels of implementation of MEAs differ significantly from one agreement to another, even where an overall objective might be protection of biodiversity. The scope of biodiversity-related MEAs varies and includes: • the conservation of individual species; • migration routes and habitats; • the protection of ecosystems; • trade in species; • safe transfer, handling, and use of living modified organisms; • protected areas; and, • sustainable use of biodiversity.

Under the Convention on Biological Diversity there is a working group set up under Article 8(j) which deals with Indigenous knowledge as it relates to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

Arctic-relevant MEAs

Important MEAs in the context of Arctic biodiversity include conventions such as: • the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; • the Convention on Biological Diversity; • the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WHC);

• the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and its associated agreements such as the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA); and,

• the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Regional and/or species-specific agreements, such as the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), and the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, are also highly relevant to the conservation of Arctic biodiversity.

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