In order to get a more complete picture of MEAs that are relevant to biodiversity in the Arctic, it is also necessary to consider not only MEAs that have ecosystem services and biodiversity at their core, but also atmosphere conventions, land conventions, chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions, regional seas conventions and related agreements, as well as trade-related measures.

I

The Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, and any successor agreements are all relevant to the protection of Arctic biodiversity in that they attempt to eliminate or stabilize anthropogenic emissions that interfere with the atmosphere and drive climate change which is altering Arctic habitats.

II

Similarly, the chemicals and hazardous wastes conventions, such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, are relevant to Arctic biodiversity as has been shown by the various assessments of Arctic contaminants conducted by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). The Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities (GPA) and the Arctic Council‘s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) working group are closely related to the chemicals-related conventions on issues such as agrochemicals, persistent organic pollutants, and heavy metals9, p.14

. The global mercury convention, which will

regulate both the use and emissions of mercury, for which negotiations began in Stockholm in June 2010 and expected to be ready for adoption in 2013, is also directly relevant to Arctic biodiversity.

The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) is also concerned with the prevention and elimination of pollutants as well as ensuring the sustainable use of the sea. While not strictly considered an MEA, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a global agreement with a broad scope. In terms of Arctic biodiversity, Article 123 relating to Cooperation of

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