This report aims to understand how natural resources and the environment can be better protected during armed conflict by examining the status of existing international law and making recommendations on concrete ways to strenghten the legal framework and its enforcement.

This glossary of terms and acronyms aims to provide a support tool not only for those that are frequently engaged in negotiations under various multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), but also for those involved in the daily implementation of such agreements and related decisions.

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) are a subset of the universe of international agreements. What distinguishes them from other agreements is their focus on environmental issues, their creation of binding international las, and their inclusion of multiple countries.

Environmental law is a broad catagory of laws that include laws that specifically address environmental issues and more general laws that have a direct impact on environmental issues.

This Handbook is intended to enable national judges in all types of tribunals in both civil law and common law jurisdictions to identify environmental issues coming before them and to be aware of the range of options available to them in interpreting and applying the law.

This publication is designed to meet the demand for legal information and material, and serve as a source of reference of basic documents on international environmental law. The Environmental Law Branch of the Division of Policy Development and Law has provided support in the area of capacity building, including the production of publications on environmental law at both national and international levels.

This Handbook, which updates the 2000 edition, incorporates all the adjustments, amendments and the decisions of the Parties up to the end of 2002. In addition, it gives valuable information on the implementation of these international environmental treaties.