Updated Handbook For The 1979 Convention On Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution And Its Protocols

The UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, adopted in 1979, is the first international legally binding instrument to address problems of air pollution on a broad regional basis. Initially focused on problems of acidification and eutrophication, it now addresses a wider array of pollutants including ground-level ozone, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and, most recently, particulate matter. This Handbook contains the most recent versions of the Convention's eight protocols as these have been amended and/or adjusted to maintain their relevance to the work of the Convention and to accommodate new Parties.

The UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, adopted in 1979, is one of the oldest multilateral international treaties on environmental protection, as well as being one of the most successful. This handbook reviews the background to, and objectives behind, the Convention, bringing together all the legal texts and ministerial statements made at the time of adoption of protocols, along with recent decisions of the Convention's Executive Body. It also contains current information on the structure of the Convention and the ratification status of its protocols.