There have been several Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA’s) on the utilization of linkages and synergies to safeguard the environment. The programme on integrated capacity for MEA’s is very durable said Minister of Environment and Natural Resources A. H. M. Fowzie, when he inaugurated the regional workshop on integrated capacity development for Multilateral Environmental Agreements in South Asia held at the World Trade Centre on Monday.

Global and regional consultations have brought forward the challenge to create coherence among presently unrelated global processes under various MEA’s, specially in relation to links between MEA implementation and national sustainable development goals. Currently the implementations of MEA implementation have broadened from the focus of an individual MEA objectives to emphasize the management of issues common to two or more MES’s

The workshops has been organized by the South Asian Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) and the United Nations University (UNU) and funded by the Ministry of Environment, Government of Japan.

The existing agencies are the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and University of Peradeniya, IUCN - The World Conservation Union.

The MEA’s include declarations, principles, conventions, protocols, treaties and bilateral agreements at international level.

Since 1972, more than 300 environmental agreements were negotiated of which nearly 70 per cent were regional in scope, the Minister said.

The recent catastrophe of the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean caused heavy damages to many countries and made us realize the great need for cooperation within and across regions in overcoming regional environmental challenges. It is therefore of much importance for countries in the region to understand constraints and opportunities for building their own capacity in addressing national regional and global environmental challenges, share experiences among each other and promote regional partnerships in addressing such challenges, he added.

In addition to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Participating United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Pakistan were also represented at the workshop which is due to end on Wednesday February 16.