Officials gather in Sri Lanka for UN workshop on environmental treaties

To help government officials comply with the surge in multilateral environmental pacts that cover everything from biodiversity to hazardous wastes, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is hosting a workshop in Sri Lanka this weekend.

International environmental law has developed rapidly over the last 30 years and new legally binding treaties commit governments to take specific actions to address a variety of related concerns.

The session will gather legal experts, government officials and others in Colombo on Saturday and Sunday to look at the complex issues that can hamper government efforts to implement these global treaties.

Workshop participants will take a fresh look at possible ways to break through the barriers that can prevent full implementation of the agreements. These obstacles can include a government's lack of financing or technical resources, limited expertise in international environmental law, overstretched ministries that cannot keep pace with the rapid expansion of the treaties, and even political, cultural and religious factors.