Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Uganda for Cooperation on Environment Management, Nairobi, 1998- 10-22
Objectives: To establish interim arrangements for continued consultations, capacity building and networking on environmental policies, laws and strategies, undertake joint programmes and activities, provide a basis for the Partner States to co-operate with specialised organisations or other governments in the field of environment management, and to promote the development and implementation of environmentally sound principles, international agreements, instruments and strategies for environment and natural resource management.
Summary of provisions: The Partner States recognise the urgent need for the development of a protocol on common areas for cooperation and harmonisation in the area of environment and natural resources management (art. 3). Partner States further agree to cooperate, inter alia, in the development of common water quality control programmes, in developing and applying common measures to reduce and control general environmental degradation, developing common strategies to combat desertification (art.6). They undertake to cooperate in developing, enacting and harmonising their national framework and sectoral environmental laws, implementing regulations and guidelines on various issues including the right of the people to a clean, decent and healthy environment (art.7). Article 8 focuses on the Partner States commitments regarding the management of the Lake Victoria Ecosystem. Articles 9, 10 and 11 specify undertakings of Partner States with regard to the management of forest resources, of wildlife resources and of the marine and coastal environment. Regarding management of waste and hazardous waste and pollution, articles 12 and 13 delineate areas of cooperation. Finally, Partner States undertake to develop technical guidelines and regulations on environmental impact assessment (art.14) and to adopt a common environmental standards and regulations (art. 15). To implement the above mentioned measures, the Partner States agree to undertake a number of capacity building and supporting measures including granting of access to the nationals or residents of other Partner States to their judicial and administrative machineries to seek remedies for transboundary environmental damage (art. 16).
Institutional mechanisms: Partner States establish an Interim Sectoral Committee on Environment (art.4) and designate and outline the tasks of several institutions acting as National Focal Points (art.5).
(Source: IUCN ELC, 08.2005)