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IV. CONSIDERATION OF MULTILATERAL TRADE AND ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS IN
DOMESTIC POLICY FORMULATION
[ IV | IV-A
| IV-B | IV-C ]
A. Multilateral agreements
A summary of major multilateral agreements with trade and environment-related
concerns relevant to the country is presented in annex II. The agreements
are classified according to: (a) multilateral agreements with trade implications;
(b) multilateral environmental agreements; and (c) multilateral trade agreements
with environmentally-related clauses. A listing of the initiatives undertaken
to mainstream the provisions of the agreements at the policy level has
also been made in an attempt to consolidate the related efforts.
Agreements classified under (a) include those which have adopted trade
measures to meet environmental objectives. Those agreements, which are
considered important in view of their potential implications for the performance
of industries in the Philippines in particular and the economic development
goals of the country in general, include:
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The Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species. The Convention was primarily put in place
to encourage the protection of endangered species through regulation of
trading in those species;
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The Montreal Protocol on Substances
that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Philippines committed itself to the immediate
limitation and phase-out of ozone depleting substances when it signed the
Protocol in 1988 and ratified it in March 1991. A Philippine Country Programme
which details the national ozone depleting substances (ODS) phase-out plan
was prepared in compliance with its obligations as a signatory of the Protocol,
which aimed at reducing the production and use of ODS;
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The Basle Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal. The Convention was enforced in 1992. Its primary
objective is to end the improper disposal of hazardous wastes and control
their exportation. It is likewise concerned with the management and disposal
of hazardous wastes at source. As a response, the Philippines Congress
passed into law Republic Act No. 6969, known as the Toxic Substances and
Hazardous and Nuclear Control Act of 1990, which bans the importation,
storage or transport of toxic of nuclear wastes into or through the Philippines.
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The country is also signatory to a number of multilateral agreements on
the environment, including:
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The Convention on Biodiversity. The Convention
was ratified by the Philippines in 1993, committing the country to promoting
the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity resources. The commitments
of the country under the Convention are being systematically pursued within
the framework of the Philippine Strategy for Biodiversity Conservation
which was approved by former President Fidel V. Ramos in April 1994. The
Philippine Strategy on Biodiversity Conservation details the comprehensive
action plan using a multisectoral and multidisciplinary approach to biodiversity
conservation;
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The United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Government of the Philippines
submitted its instrument of ratification to the United Nations in August
1994. The stabilization of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at levels
that will not imperil the global climate system is the ultimate goal of
the Convention. An Executive Order was issued by the government in 1991
establishing the Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change to coordinate
Philippine efforts in support of the objectives of the Convention. The
Inter-Agency Committee on Climate Change coordinates with the Philippine
Council for Sustainable Development in the formulation of national positions
and appropriate policy responses related to the fulfillment of the commitments
to the Convention by the Philippines;
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The Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance (Ramsar Convention). The Convention, which was ratified by the
Philippines in 1994, is aimed at protecting and conserving wetland habitats,
especially waterfowl habitats;
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The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
(Bonn Convention) which promotes the conservation and protection of migratory
species of wild animals;
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The International Tropical Timber Agreement.
The agreement classified under multilateral trade agreements with environmentally-related
clauses includes the Uruguay Round Accord of the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (GATT). The entry of the Philippines into GATT was seen as a
major step towards attainment of the Philippines 2000 vision anchored on
the principle of global competitiveness and people empowerment. Such a
move, however, encountered opposition from various NGOs and people's organizations
on account of its perceived environmental implications.
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