Māris kļaviņŠ, azamat azizov, JĀnis zaļoksnis environment, pollution, development: the case of uzbekistan

 10.6. 
 Recent tendencies in international 
cooperation on environmental 
protection and sustainable development
Multilateral international environ 
mental agree 
ments (con-
ven tions) are one of the oldest forms of cooperation in solving 
problems of the environ ment and nature. After the United Nations 
Conference on the Human Environ ment in 1972, international 
environ mental agreements have become the main instrument of 
global environ mental administration; however, the emphasis is on 
international diplomacy, not technical understanding. Approximately 
140 international  agreements  have  been  signed,  ratified  and  come 
into force since 1920; the number of the documents accompanying 
them (protocols and amendments) is much greater. Some of the 
conventions and protocols are of greater significance – on degradation 
of the ozone layer, biological diversity and climate change.
Although  the  conventions  and  protocols  differ  in  both  their 
subjects and goals, there are similarities as well. The conventions 
are international laws that independent countries or institutions 
have agreed upon. Since the conventions set down the obligations 
and rights of the countries in a particular sphere, the representatives 
of the states spend quite a lot of time on harmonising the documents 
before  adoption  of  the  conventions.  After  that,  technical  experts 
develop the project of the convention and submit it to the member 
states for evaluation. The highest ranking officials of the states sign 
the convention during an international conference dedicated to the 
debate on the questions related to the convention. The procedure of 
ratification takes place after signing; it involves an official decision 
by  the  parliament  confirming  that  the  convention  complies  with 
the national legislation and that the state is willing to observe the 
rules of the convention and undertake international liabilities. If an 
established number of states (the minimum number of states needed