National governments must translate
the convention's requirements into government policy and
programs if the objectives of the treaty are to be realized.
A treaty or convention is acknowledged as operational
or "having entered into force" when a pre-determined
number of signing governments ratify
it. Determining this number is part of the
negotiation process and varies with each treaty.
Once the required number of national governments
officially accepts the agreement it is then considered "binding",
that is, a type of legal agreement.
International treaties which have a direct
link to sustainability include:
High-level representatives of national governments -
presidents, prime ministers and cabinet ministers -
occasionally come together to review a specific issue.
This most often
occurs under the authority of the United Nations.
The purpose of these conferences is to clarify
existing problems in a certain field and to propose
activities for resolving or reducing the severity
of these problems.
Following preparatory meetings and negotiations,
which can last for several years, a Plan of Action
is put forward at the conference for countries
to sign. This can be a guide to policy and
program development within a country but it does not
need to be formally recognized by each government
which signed it.
Although many governments do take their
obligations under these Plans of Action seriously,
these documents are not binding under international law.
Examples of Plans of Action linked to sustainability include:
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS
Once a country signs this type of agreement,
usually at an international meeting following what
can be years of negotiations, it must then be formally
accepted (ratified) by that country's national government.
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
PLANS OF ACTION
from International High-Level Conferences
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