Progress report on International Conventions and Agreements and how they are extended to Jersey

1240/5(5689)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER

BY THE DEPUTY OF ST. MARY

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 12th OCTOBER 2010

Question

Following the progress report on International Conventions and Agreements' (R.97/2010) presented on 12th July 2010, can the Chief Minister give summary details of and references to the following documents mentioned in that report -

• Convention on Biological Diversity (paragraph 1.4- periodic report 2009)

• International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (paragraph 1.5 - further information February 2009)

• Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by dumping of waste and other matter (paragraph 1.6 - report February 2009)

• Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (paragraph 1.8 - report 6th October 2009)

• The Montreal Protocol 1997 and the first two Amendments (London 1990 and Copenhagen 1992- paragraph 2.4)

Could the Chief Minister give a reference to these documents and explain how and when they were extended to Jersey?

Answer

Reference copies of the international conventions listed are readily available on the United Nations Treaties Collection database (http://treaties.un.org) except for the Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution, which is available on the website of the International Maritime Organisation (www.imo.org).  Further information is provided below with regard to each of the listed Conventions.

Convention on Biological Diversity

The periodic report on the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity submitted by Jersey in 2009 was published in the United Kingdom's Fourth National Report to the United Nations on Biological Diversity, on page 126 (http://www.cbd.int/doc/world/gb/gb-nr-04-en.doc).

In summary, the report described:

• the state of biodiversity in Jersey;

• the status of preparation / implementation of the Jersey biodiversity strategy and action plan;

• work undertaken to bring biodiversity into the mainstream of work by other sectors;

• a statement with regard to the 2010 target to reduce the current rate of decline of biodiversity.

International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights

The periodic report on the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights submitted by Jersey was published in an Annex to the United Kingdom's Fifth Report to the United Nations Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, available on the website of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights  - http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cescr/cescrs42.htm

The report was also published on the States of Jersey website at -

http://archive.gov.je/StatesGreffe/MinisterialDecision/ChiefMinister/2007/International+Covenant+on+Economic. DisplayReport=true

The report outlined:

• the general political structure of Jersey's government;

• the general legal framework within which human rights are protected;

• information and publicity concerning the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the reports to the Committee;

• the legal status and specific implementation of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

• responses to the concluding observations of previous hearings.

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by dumping of waste and other matter

The 2009 report by Jersey, conveyed to the London Convention Secretariat by official correspondence, stated that no applications had been made during 2007 for the disposal of wastes to sea, that no disposal of dredged material had been licensed and to the best of knowledge none had taken place in Jersey waters.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

The periodic report submitted by Jersey to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination was published on the States of Jersey website  -

http://archive.gov.je/StatesGreffe/MinisterialDecision/ChiefMinister/2009/mdc20090079.htm The report outlined:

• progress on anti-discrimination legislation;

• discrimination awareness and training in employment;

• the role of the Jersey Community Relations Trust;

• data on the ethnic composition of Jersey's population.

Vienna  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Ozone  Layer - Montreal  Protocol  1997  and  the  first  two Amendments (London 1990 and Copenhagen 1992)

Further details on the Montreal Protocol and its amendments are available on the website of the United Nations Environment Programme Ozone Secretariat -

http://www.unep.ch/ozone/Ratification_status/evolution_of_mp.shtml

A project is currently in progress to confirm exact details of extension of the ratification of all the International Conventions and Agreements which may be applicable to Jersey.  It is believed there are some 400 or more Conventions which need to be researched, using evidence from records held in Jersey and those held by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office Treaties Section and the relevant depositary organisations. At present it is not possible to provide definitive information on the extension of the Conventions listed above.