International environmental agreements are a key mechanism by which nations manage natural resources and deal with an environment that varies greatly across space and time. These agreements enable nations to search for equitable and efficient solutions to problems that arise from the intersection of natural and human systems that transcend national boundaries. Because nation-states are the primary political units forced to deal with such issues as global climate change, land use and land cover patterns, stratospheric ozone, and other global environmental problems, the need for future international environmental agreements between nation-states is likely to be substantial.

Furthermore, the implementation of existing agreements is also extremely important, especially as the need for international cooperation on global environmental change increases with the connectivity and complexity of global environmental, economic, and political systems. International environmental agreements are increasing in importance as tools to help promote equitable and efficient strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of problems such as global climate change, biodiversity loss, stratospheric ozone depletion, and changes in land use.

The existence of international environmental treaties and agreements responding to environmental issues sometimes drives the development of national legislation, response strategies and action plans. Most countries have enacted national laws to protect natural resources; protect human health and well-being; establish environmental authorities; ratify multilateral environmental agreements; and so on.

Since UNEP's establishment in 1972 under UN General Assembly Resolution 2997(XXVII), environmental law has been one of UNEP's priority areas of focus. Beginning in 1981, UNEP's Environmental Law activities have been carried out within the framework of strategic Programmes for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law (Montevideo Programme) approved by the Governing Council every ten years. UNEP is currently implementing Montevideo Programme III adopted by Governing Council decision 21/23 on 9 February 2001.

The role of UNEP in promoting the development and implementation of environmental law at global, regional and national levels has been further reinforced by UN General Assembly Resolution 3436 (XXX), Agenda 21, the 1997 Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of UNEP and the 2000 Malmö Ministerial Declaration adopted at the First Global Ministerial Environment Forum.

Access to information on environmental law is a critical element of capacity building, especially for developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

Information supplements manpower. Developing countries often lack legal research facilities and environmental law experts. Access to information will considerably assist persons in these countries in researching and teaching environmental law, and in building personal capacity.

Information saves time. The availability of existing laws, treaties and literature will allow countries to distil the best environmental law information worldwide which will assist in developing and ensuring better implementation of legislation and also in dealing with transboundary issues.

Information saves money. Countries seeking to formulate or amend their legislation need not reinvent the wheel; they can profit from existing legislation established by countries that have faced similar challenges.

Access to information is a form of development assistance: It helps developing countries help themselves. The information in this section of the profile is harvested from ECOLEX (www.ecolex.org) - the gateway to environmental law - a capacity building partnership involving UNEP, IUCN and FAO.

ECOLEX is a comprehensive, internet-based information service on environmental law and policy (including natural resource management) operated jointly by UNEP, IUCN and FAO.

ECOLEX combines the environmental law information holdings of the partner organizations including:

• multilateral and bilateral treaties

• national legislation

• European Union legal instruments

• judicial decisions

• soft law and other internationally non-binding policy instruments and technical guidance

• law and policy literature

ECOLEX covers a whole range of environmental subjects, such as: Air, Climate, Flora, Fauna, Fishing, Hunting, Hazardous Substances, Land Use, Noise, Protected Areas, Soil, Waste, and Water, as well as Food and Agriculture.

ECOLEX provides bibliographic and analytical information and links to full text documents in as far as they are presently available to ECOLEX in electronic form. Currently most full texts of national legislation are available through FAOLEX. They are progressively being linked to ECOLEX.

ECOLEX entries permit finding useful references to implementation of treaties in national legislation, and to significant literature commenting on them.

ECOLEX is easily accessible, user-friendly, available worldwide and free of charge.