Abstract
This article examines the current state and future trajectory of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in addressing escalating global environmental crises. Despite the proliferation of MEAs since 1971 and recent milestones such as CBD COP16, persistent challenges - including geopolitical fragmentation, inadequate financing, and weak compliance mechanisms - continue to undermine their effectiveness. The author contends that the siloed nature of individual conventions diminishes their collective impact, arguing that integrated implementation and enhanced synergies are essential to overcome these limitations. The article proposes a framework for integration grounded in three principles: alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, harmonization of objectives, and coordinated resolutions. Operationally, it recommends five key strategies: establishing a global strategic framework for MEAs, strengthening international cooperation mechanisms, advancing nationally determined contributions, expanding the Global Environment Facility, and coordinating Scientific and Technical Review Panels to eliminate redundancy. Recognizing national-level barriers - particularly fragmented management authorities - the paper advocates for national focal points to synchronize policy positions, cross-sectoral policy development, and unified monitoring tools. Ultimately, it concludes that harmonized information management and deepened collaboration among conventions and national bodies can accelerate collective progress, citing CITES' decades-long effort to regulate ivory trade as an exemplar of how such synergies can finally tip the scales toward effective global environmental governance.
Keywords
Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Integrated Implementation, Principle, Approach, Synergies
1. Introduction
In 2024, at least 6 global Conferences of the Parties (COP) on environmental protection were held as scheduled by United Nations (UN) or global environment relevant institutions, and traditionally made a series of decisions, resolutions and platforms, which seem to be a global forum for parties to develop public awareness and share successful cases
| [1] | UNFCCC. Conference of the Parties (COP). (November 25, 2024). Report of the Conference of the Parties on its twenty-ninth session, held in Baku from 11 to 22 November 2024. Addendum. Part two: Action taken by the Conference of the Parties at its twenty ninth session [OL]. Retrieved from
https://unfccc.int/documents/644941 January 10, 2025. |
[1]
. For decades many agreements formed in these conferences have been established as Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Despite the ambitious mandate set by the UN Environment Assembly in March 2022, the negotiations for a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution have encountered obstacles. The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) and its follow-up in August 2025 fell short of forging a consensus on this seminal agreement, anticipated to become the most consequential multilateral environmental agreement since Paris
.
The 2025 MEAs process demonstrates that the international community is striving to substantiate past commitments
| [3] | Yang Linlin. (November 14, 2025). Call for global green best practices launched at COP30 [Press release]. Retrieved from
https://eng.yidaiyilu.gov.cn/p/0A6VCENE.html December 16, 2025. |
| [4] | Carlos García-Soto. (November 12, 2025). Rebuilding Trust in Multilateral Governance: Lessons from the Seabed to COP 30 [Press release]. Retrieved from
https://www.un.org/uk/node/236644 January 16, 2026. |
[3, 4]
. Future success will depend not only on the intensity of domestic actions by individual countries but also on whether the global governance system can become more transparent, equitable, and trustworthy. But we are still facing some serious global environmental challenges, such as extreme weather events, significant changes to Earth systems, Natural resource shortages and ecosystem collapse, Natural resource shortages, pollution, etc. These challenges have not been alleviated by the rapid development of MEAs, but require us to find ways to work together without damaging legitimate aspirations for progress. Practically, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council adopted Guidelines for enhancing compliance with multilateral environmental agreements in 2001
. Significantly, people underlined also the expectations generated by MEAs to encourage scientific cooperation in some major areas and across the world to face today’s global environmental challenges. So how are MEAs in the following time, the conductors, reacting to those issues?
In this article, this article will begin by briefly introducing MEAs, and then the key outcomes and key factors of the latest COP of some major MEAs were followed by an outline. After summarized issues and challenges, a new approach were proposed for synergies of major MEAs to address the critical challenges of global environmental change and sustainable development which is more interdisciplinary, more international, more collaborative and more responsive to the whole of humanity and the earth itself.
2. Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)
2.1. General Information About MEAs
As UN Environment Relevant Institutions sprang up all over the world, MEAs have been set up from 1971. So far, MEAs have covered the main areas of Biological diversity, Environmental Governance, Chemicals and Waste, Land and Agriculture, Climate and Atmosphere, Marine and Freshwater
. In fact, according to official statistics MEAs included 2182 Treaties, 706 multilateral and 1476 bilateral, and could be divided into 170 Global, 454 Regional, 111 UN depository and others
. International Environmental Agreements (IEA) Database Project even collected up to 3766 Treaties
| [8] | Université Laval. (n.d.). (June 27, 2024). International Environmental Agreements (IEA) Database Project [OL]. Retrieved from https://iea.uwaterloo.ca/ December 26, 2024. |
[8]
.
Established in 1971 and acknowledged as the first Environmental Agreement, Ramsar Convention (RAMSAR) was being confident that the conservation of wetlands and their flora and fauna can be ensured by combining far-sighted national policies with coordinated international action
. After this wetlands conservation, other important conventions in different fields have been signed one after another. There are Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (WHC, 1972)
| [10] | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (November 16, 1972). Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage [S]. UN Treaty Series, Vol. 1037, 151. |
[10]
, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973)
, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS, 1979)
, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 1992)
| [13] | United Nations. (May 9, 1992). United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [S]. UN Treaty Series, Vol. 1771, 107. |
[13]
, Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992)
| [14] | Convention on Biological Diversity. (1992, June 5). Text of the Convention [S]. UN Treaty Series, Vol. 1760, 79. |
[14]
, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD, 1994)
| [15] | United Nations. (October 14, 1994,). United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa [S]. UN Treaty Series, Vol. 1954, 3. |
[15]
, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA, 2004)
| [16] | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (June 29, 2004). International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture [DB]. Retrieved from
https://www.fao.org/3/i0510e/i0510e.pdf December 27, 2024. |
[16]
, Paris Agreement (2015) and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF, 2022)
| [17] | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (December 12, 2015). Paris Agreement [S]. UN Treaty Series, Registration No. 54113. |
| [18] | Convention on Biological Diversity. (December 19, 2022). Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (Decision CBD/COP/15/L.25) [R]. Retrieved from
https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf December 27, 2024. |
[17, 18]
.
2.2. A Latest Case of CBD COP
The CBD sixteen Conference of the Parties (COP 16) held in 21 October 2024 and declared by its administrator organization UNEP, was the largest to date, a sign of increased understanding of the biodiversity crisis
| [19] | (Convention on Biological Diversity. (October 21, 2024). Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) [OL]. Retrieved from
https://www.cbd.int/conferences/2024 January 12, 2026. |
[19]
. 196 parties in Colombia was supposed to hash out some sort of agreement to follow some objectives. As examples, there were 3 welcome outcomes of the latest COP
| [20] | Convention on Biological Diversity. (2024). Provisional agenda: Item 13. Marine and coastal biodiversity (including EBSAs). Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16), CBD/COP/16/1/Add.2 [OL]. Retrieved from
https://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=COP-16 December 27, 2024. |
[20]
, as: a) Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas (EBSAS). COP 16 agreed on a new and improved process to identify EBSAs, which identifies the most critical and vulnerable parts of the ocean, began in 2010 and became a central area of ocean-related work. b) Sustainable Wildlife Management and Plant Conservation. Among the most crucial areas of discussion was the protection of wild species. The framework encourages research on how wildlife use, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic diseases are interconnected. c) Biodiversity and Health. Parties approved a Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health designed to help curb the emergence of zoonotic diseases, prevent non-communicable diseases, and promote sustainable ecosystems. The strategy embraces a holistic “One Health” approach that recognizes the health of ecosystems, animals, and humans as interconnected.
However, there remained identifiable challenges and future implementations of MEAs by regulators, which were: a) Geopolitical divisions and uncertainties. Developed and developing countries are still far apart on many of the core elements. b) Issues Compliance & Law Enforcement Coordination. Just like the continued development of the EBSAS programme was stymied for more than 8 years due to legal and political concerns. c) Insufficient finances and its mismanagement. No clear numbers, but expectations in the trillions of dollars per year for a long time. And followed by the misallocation of capital. d) Inadequate regulation system of action appraisal. There is a failure to recognize that biodiversity loss and poor health often share common drivers—such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change.
3. Issues and Challenges of MEAs
The key outcomes and factors of CBD urged courage and compromise to step up action for global nature environment, concluding that ‘peace with Earth cannot be put in brackets.’ Of course, the premise was that issues and challenges of major MEAs should be dissected.
3.1. Confronting Global Climate Change
Global climatic change is not only a environmental question, but also energy, economic and political issue. Based on those consideration, Conventions were signed by nearly 200 globally parties, which recognized the role of forest, grassland, wetlands and other natural factors in combating climate change. For instance, wetland types such as peat bogs and mangroves in the Convention on Wetlands are critical to global climate change and require conservation, restoration and sustainable management to address climate change. The Convention on Biological Diversity also emphasizes the role of biodiversity conservation in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
3.2. Expanding Multilateral Cooperation
Governments around the world are willing to continue to deepen the bilateral and multilateral cooperation for mutual benefit. As all the MEAs notes again and again, global environmental governance requires strengthened multilateral cooperation to address challenges in such areas as public health, wildlife, medical waste and ecosystems. This urges governments to take comprehensive measures to integrate governance and strengthen cooperation with the United Nations, global environment relevant institutions and other international organizations to build a community of destiny in the areas of human health, environment and security.
3.3. Undertaking International Responsibility
Particularly developed countries should shoulder their international responsibility, fulfill their relevant commitments in earnest and actively promote the process of global environmental governance. About carbon emission reduction, because of their historical industrialization, developed countries have caused about 90% of the world's excessive carbon emissions, and should therefore assume a matching obligation to reduce emissions. The UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement set out the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities for carbon emissions, whereby developed countries should take the lead in reducing emissions and carry out absolute emission reductions, while providing financial support for emission reductions in developing countries.
3.4. Allocating Funding and Resource
Funding and resource allocation is a complex and important management process that involves how to efficiently allocate limited funds and resources among different projects, departments and MEAs to achieve common goals. Managers need to identify long-term and short-term goals, develop a budget that reflects project and action priorities based on the financial situation, then assess the financial, human, equipment, technology and other resources, which would ensure adequate resources were allocated to key decisions and activities. Consideration also needs to be given to how to put in place a more systematic and binding financial reporting, monitoring and review system without placing an excessive burden on developing country parties with insufficient capacity.
3.5. Strengthening MEAs Implementation
What calls for special attention is a universal and practical challenge for multilateral environmental conventions is the implementation of and compliance with the MEAs conjointly. Actually, different conventions have evolved distinctive compliance mechanisms that have been adapted and refined in practice over the past decades. It is still important to communicate decisions with all stakeholders, ensure transparency in the compliance process to increase trust and acceptance, and develop coping strategies to mitigate the risk of breach. In additionally, it is necessary to increase flexibility, regularly monitor the performance and project progress, and evaluate the feedback results to constantly adjust and improve the strategy.
4. General Principles for Integrated Implementation of MEAs
As important international environmental conventions, there are close relations and cooperation among MEAs. Following by general principles, all MEAs’ implementation would be integrate as a whole with key connections.
4.1. Adhere with Sustainable Development Goals
All MEAs are closely linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
| [21] | United Nations General Assembly. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (A/RES/70/1) [OL]. Retrieved from
https://undocs.org/A/RES/70/1 December 27, 2024. |
[21]
, some major MEAs as UNFCCC, UNCCD, CBD and CITES mentioned above are key to achieving SDGs. SDGs deserve deeper analysis of interconnections and synergies between goals, trade-offs, and indicators and targets. We will be lobbying for a clear road map for the SDGs and one that prioritizes MEAs’ representation, binding agreements on universal access to protect the natural environment and pledges to deliver those services.
4.2. Set Common Objectives
MEAs are committed to the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, as well as the protection and restoration of all ecosystem services more broadly. Along with the SDGs, this represents a significant opportunity to ensure that the common objectives or commitments of MEAs are quickly turned into practical global strategies and action plans that are comprehensive, well-resourced, and involve all relevant actors including stakeholders, so that the future generations of humanity can embrace a brighter, better future free from the shadow of global environmental challenges.
4.3. Enhanced Cooperation and Synergies
With common objectives or commitments, conventions and protocols, and related environmental conventions emphasized cooperation with each other and international institutions to enhance synergies and share resources, avoid duplication, and strengthen implementation. Exactly as the Ramsar Convention placed particular emphasis on the conservation and rational use of wetland ecosystems, but also involved a wide range of agriculture production, hydraulic engineering, aquaculture and fishing, water conservation, regulating climate and public education, all of which call for cross-industry collaboration and development.
4.4. Joint Resolutions and Actions
In the implementation of MEAs, ways to bring parties together for joint resolutions and actions, and then strengthen guidance in the preparation of their national strategies and action plans, and national reports, are issues that need to be considered. As known to us, in the decision adopted by the CBD COP, reference was made to cooperation with relevant multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Convention on Wetlands, to implement and monitor the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework collectively.
4.5. Focus on Conservation Practices
Great attention must be paid to linking theory with practice, as well as to the integrated implementation of MEAs. Wetland conservation practices, such as the return of farmland to forest and the establishment of national wetland parks in China, are actions of common concern and support of some major MEAs. By the way of practice, a combination of specific industry knowledge, organizational structure and market conditions is conducive but not confined to effective allocation of funds and resources, and continuous improvement of strategies and plans based on feedback and results.
5. Approaches for Synergies of MEAs
MEAs have close links and synergies in terms of objectives, cooperation, climate change response and SDGs, and jointly contribute to the conservation of global environment and the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems. Based on what we have summarized, approaches for synergies of major MEAs are mainly realized in the following areas.
5.1. Establish a Global Strategic Framework
The Global Strategic Framework for the Conservation of Wetlands 2025-2034
, agreed at the COP14 to the Convention on Wetlands, clearly identifies the role of wetland conservation and restoration in promoting sustainable development and addressing global environmental challenges, emphasizes the acceleration of action on wetland conservation and restoration, and strengthens international cooperation. On the analogy of this, a Global Strategic Framework of MEAs is practicable and in urgent need for the alleviation or even elimination of environmental challenges.
5.2. Strengthen and Mainstream of International Cooperation
MEAs Parties were encouraged to strengthen links with the UN or global environment relevant institutions and its subsidiary bodies to facilitate the exchange of information on the actual and potential role of environment conservation, management and restoration activities in the implementation of strategies to reduce environmental threatens and disruptions. The importance of coordination and cooperation among countries should be stressed, especially for the conservation and governance of the ecological environment and the rational use of natural resources in regional or cross-border areas.
5.3. Practice Nationally Owned Contributions
Besides international cooperation, Parties integrate actions for the conservation, restoration, sustainable management and rational utilization of environment and resources into national sustainable development strategies. As one of the responsible Parties of membership, China have taken a series of actions and measures, which embodies independent contribution and responsibility. To be specific in wetland, China has promulgated the Wetland Conservation Law
, implemented four five-year national wetland plans
, completed more than 4,100 wetland projects
| [25] | Liu Ping, Guan Lei, Lv Cai. et al. Technical Characteristics and Application Prospects of Achievements of the Second National Wetland Investigation [J]. Wetland Science, 3rd ed., vol. 9, 2011, pp. 284-289. |
[25]
, established 64 international importance wetlands
, and strives to increase the protection rate of wetlands from 52.65% to 55.00% by 2025
.
5.4. Expand Global Environment Facility (GEF)
The GEF was established in 1991 to provide financial and technical support to developing countries to help them implement international environmental conventions. The GEF is the funding mechanism for 5 international conventions, including the CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD. Since the launch of GEF for more than 30 years, Pledges for the GEF’s eighth operating period (2022 to 2026) reached $5.33 billion, which showed an increase of more than 30% over the previous operating period. GEF should not be limited to increase the amount pledged by donor countries, but also expand the sources of funds, broaden the financing base, and improve the efficiency of fund usage.
5.5. Coordinate Scientific and Technical Review Panels (STRP)
Most MEAs have their own STRP. There is a general recognition of the urgent need to review the existing STRP, clarify the scope, and avoid overlapping. The UN should gather global environment relevant institutions to formulate a principal plan to ensure comprehensive and efficient auditing. Likewise, UN should also supervise the performance of the MEAs committee, urge them to perform research, evaluation and suggestion about applicability, accuracy, compliance and other indicators. STRP meet regularly to examine the progress of the work or report as specified in plan, promote the implementation of the tasks, and prepare for the next MEAs COP.
6. Synergy Among Ministries to Implement MEAs
Based on the definition of general principles for integrated implementation of MEAs, and realization of approaches for synergies of MEAs, it seems possible to establish and maintain good partnerships with each other. Indeed, the Convention collaborates with seven Conventions (RAMSAR, CBD, CMS, CITES, ITPGRFA, IPPC, WHC) which focus on biodiversity issues through the Biodiversity Liaison Group established in 2002 by the Parties to the CBD.
When viewed at the national level, it is still hard to administrate this synergy process for some obstacles, such as different management authorities or scientific authorities of MEAs, inconsistency of laws and regulations, insufficient structural and functional integration of departments, and poor cross-sectoral information sharing. For instance, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) is the management authority of CBD, but National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) of RAMSAR, CITES and UNCCD in China. Therefore, it will need to engage ministries and institutions in synergy to promote cooperation for the implementation of MEAs.
6.1. Promote Understanding of the Connections Among MEAs
We should underline the need for education and promoting understanding of the connections among MEAs, and then enhance nationally owned contributions, national adaptation plans and bilateral transparency reports, achievement of new collective quantitative targets for climate finance. Furthermore, formulate universal international interpretation or languages of concept and solution, such as China’s eco-civilization, shared community of life, modernization of harmony between human and nature.
Following the reform and merger of departments, some departments have not been able to achieve substantial and deep integration in terms of structure, functions, leadership and culture. There is a general recognition of the urgent need for making a decision to invite nations to establish and designate national focal points (i.e. National Forestry and Grassland Administration of China) for the cooperation. NFGA would integrate internal structures and personnel arrangements, and then synchronize standpoints and shared friend network among MEAs.
6.2. Set a Framework for the Collaborative Process
There are the most common form of administrative barriers to cross-sectoral, cross-regional and cross-level data interoperability and sharing, leading to irregular data collection and inefficient use. At the heart of the cooperation is a collaborative framework that brings together professionals, executives, conservationists, and policymakers. CBD COP 16 gave new life to this process, agreeing on new mechanisms to identify new mechanisms and update existing ones, ensuring that the cataloging of information of theoretical research and practical applications can support planning and management with the most advanced science and knowledge available.
By then, it emphasizes the urgency of tackling global threats and supporting capacity-building to benefit both the environment and humans. The Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR), in partnership with the GEF, supports wetland conservation and restoration projects and cost-effective investments in wetlands for biodiversity, water, climate and biological diversity objectives.
6.3. Strengthen or Develop Policies to Reflect Interconnections
Under the framework and schedule, we need to strengthen policies that promoting sustainable ecosystems, reduce destruction and support local community. Meanwhile, we have an urge to develop policies reflecting these interconnections, integrating — wetland- forest- biodiversity- climate - heritage- desert- science— considerations in policies across the range of sectors from forestry to environment planning.
Meanwhile, internal policies, guidance, information, and news ought to be shared on implementation and significant resolutions. The ecosystem aspect, for example, it is pleased to see ministries make contacts through MEAs to assess the vulnerability of different ecosystem types to climate change, opportunities of ecosystem for adaptation to climate change, the role of ecosystem restoration as a climate response tool, and the role of different ecosystem types in the global carbon cycle.
6.4. Develop Monitoring Tools and Metrics for Assessing
Cross-sector conferences on Global Ecological Governance involving all MEAs and Assessment Agencies (AAs) under national focal points should be organized termly, to monitor and assess the progress of MEAs’ initiatives. Most recently, CBD COP 16 saw a commitment to align plant conservation efforts with the KMGBF monitoring framework. This includes updating the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation with specific indicators and a standardized reporting template, ensuring that progress in plant protection is measurable and consistent with global biodiversity targets.
Additionally, this comes at a time when EBSAs can play an important role for marine biodiversity protection, monitoring and assessing, with major steps being taken to implement MEAs’ target and to prepare for the future implementation of the new agreement for global environmental challenges beyond national jurisdiction.
6.5. Special Attention Is Accorded to Vulnerable Populations
A viewpoint on sustainable global environmental management underscores the necessity of and the inclusive participation of indigenous peoples, local communities, and women. It need be focused by different ministries and institutions, including Indigenous peoples, who depend on local biodiversity, resource and environment for food, money, and cultural identity, as well as youth, seen as vital contributors to conservation and health initiatives.
As one of the GEF-supported projects, the Small Grants Programme (SGP) was established in 1992 and aims to to raise the ceiling, which is one of the best ways to respond
| [28] | United Nations Development Programme. (n.d.). (February 26, 2024). The Small Grants Programme (SGP) of The Global Environment Facility [R]. Retrieved from https://sgp.undp.org/ June 12, 2025. |
[28]
, which is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of GEF’s partners and is implemented by the United Nations Project Management Office (UNOPS)
.
6.6. Further Called for Close Cooperation with International Organizations
To this end, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2 February as World Wetlands Day to promote international cooperation and national action to maintain ecological balance and promote sustainable development. China does a good job at promoting international exchanges and cooperation, whom plans to establish an ‘International Mangrove Center’ in Shenzhen, supports the holding of the Global Coastal Forum, and makes every effort to the migratory birds that pass through
.
Specifically, incorporate MEAs strategies into national ecosystem/species strategic plan and project planning, crossing participation to other MEA and AAs COPs. In addition, decision of major MEAs call for the cooperation of international bodies like CITES and FAO to implement.
7. Conclusion
Consequently, our thoughts on the integrated implementation and synergies of MEAs could be summarized as: a) Engagement of the MEAs on climate, ecosystem, biodiversity and other elements in ongoing multilateral processes dealing with global environmental challenges. b) Enhancing the languages of one convention and its visibility and stature, and increasing partnerships, cooperation and synergies with other multilateral environmental agreements, including harmonized information management infrastructures. c) Synergies with national or international ministries, institutions and other organizations dealing with issues and challenges, including collaboration on, and harmonization of, national reporting among environment or ecology-related conventions and agreements.
It had been show that CITES had made heroic efforts at commercial ivory trade controls for more than forty years from 1979. And finally, a victorious decision were adopted by CITES COP 19 in 2022, which announced that trade in raw ivory for commercial purposes from elephant populations not included in Appendix I be authorized only in accordance with provisions agreed by the Conference of the Parties. Fortunately, it can be predicted that the process of endangered species of Wild Fauna and Flora would be listed in CITES Appendixes in the following years will be accelerated by the integrated implementation and synergies of MEAs.
Abbreviations
MEAs | Multilateral Environmental Agreements |
CBD | Convention on Biological Diversity |
CITES | Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species |
COP | Conferences of the Parties |
UN | United Nations |
INC | Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee |
UNEP | United Nations Environment Programme |
IEA | International Environmental Agreements |
WHC | World Cultural and Natural Heritage |
CMS | Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals |
UNFCCC | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
UNCCD | United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification |
ITPGRFA | International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resource for Food and Agriculture |
KMGBF | Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework |
COP 16 | sixteen Conference of the Parties |
EBSAS | Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Areas. |
SDGs | Sustainable Development Goals |
GEF | Expand Global Environment Facility |
STRP | Scientific and Technical Review Panels |
MEE | Ministry of Ecology and Environment |
NFGA | National Forestry and Grassland Administration |
RAMSAR | Convention on Wetlands |
AAs | Assessment Agencies |
SGP | Small Grants Programme |
UNDP | United Nations Development Programme |
UNOPS | United Nations Project Management Office |
Author Contributions
Wei Ma: Conceptualization, Writing – original draft
Yixuan Wang: Resources, Formal Analysis
Jin Huang: Supervision, Project administration
Yuhang Wang: Methodology, Validation
Jingyi Han: Writing – review & editing
Yan Liu: Writing – review & editing
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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APA Style
Ma, W., Wang, Y., Huang, J., Wang, Y., Han, J., et al. (2026). Thoughts on the Integrated Implementation and Synergies of MEAs. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 14(2), 48-55. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
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Ma, W.; Wang, Y.; Huang, J.; Wang, Y.; Han, J., et al. Thoughts on the Integrated Implementation and Synergies of MEAs. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2026, 14(2), 48-55. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
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Ma W, Wang Y, Huang J, Wang Y, Han J, et al. Thoughts on the Integrated Implementation and Synergies of MEAs. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2026;14(2):48-55. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
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@article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12,
author = {Wei Ma and Yixuan Wang and Jin Huang and Yuhang Wang and Jingyi Han and Yan Liu},
title = {Thoughts on the Integrated Implementation and Synergies of MEAs},
journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
volume = {14},
number = {2},
pages = {48-55},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20261402.12},
abstract = {This article examines the current state and future trajectory of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in addressing escalating global environmental crises. Despite the proliferation of MEAs since 1971 and recent milestones such as CBD COP16, persistent challenges - including geopolitical fragmentation, inadequate financing, and weak compliance mechanisms - continue to undermine their effectiveness. The author contends that the siloed nature of individual conventions diminishes their collective impact, arguing that integrated implementation and enhanced synergies are essential to overcome these limitations. The article proposes a framework for integration grounded in three principles: alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, harmonization of objectives, and coordinated resolutions. Operationally, it recommends five key strategies: establishing a global strategic framework for MEAs, strengthening international cooperation mechanisms, advancing nationally determined contributions, expanding the Global Environment Facility, and coordinating Scientific and Technical Review Panels to eliminate redundancy. Recognizing national-level barriers - particularly fragmented management authorities - the paper advocates for national focal points to synchronize policy positions, cross-sectoral policy development, and unified monitoring tools. Ultimately, it concludes that harmonized information management and deepened collaboration among conventions and national bodies can accelerate collective progress, citing CITES' decades-long effort to regulate ivory trade as an exemplar of how such synergies can finally tip the scales toward effective global environmental governance.},
year = {2026}
}
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Thoughts on the Integrated Implementation and Synergies of MEAs
AU - Wei Ma
AU - Yixuan Wang
AU - Jin Huang
AU - Yuhang Wang
AU - Jingyi Han
AU - Yan Liu
Y1 - 2026/03/27
PY - 2026
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
DO - 10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
T2 - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JF - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JO - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
SP - 48
EP - 55
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2330-7536
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20261402.12
AB - This article examines the current state and future trajectory of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) in addressing escalating global environmental crises. Despite the proliferation of MEAs since 1971 and recent milestones such as CBD COP16, persistent challenges - including geopolitical fragmentation, inadequate financing, and weak compliance mechanisms - continue to undermine their effectiveness. The author contends that the siloed nature of individual conventions diminishes their collective impact, arguing that integrated implementation and enhanced synergies are essential to overcome these limitations. The article proposes a framework for integration grounded in three principles: alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, harmonization of objectives, and coordinated resolutions. Operationally, it recommends five key strategies: establishing a global strategic framework for MEAs, strengthening international cooperation mechanisms, advancing nationally determined contributions, expanding the Global Environment Facility, and coordinating Scientific and Technical Review Panels to eliminate redundancy. Recognizing national-level barriers - particularly fragmented management authorities - the paper advocates for national focal points to synchronize policy positions, cross-sectoral policy development, and unified monitoring tools. Ultimately, it concludes that harmonized information management and deepened collaboration among conventions and national bodies can accelerate collective progress, citing CITES' decades-long effort to regulate ivory trade as an exemplar of how such synergies can finally tip the scales toward effective global environmental governance.
VL - 14
IS - 2
ER -
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