The Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) Handbook provides advice on handling the complexities of international environmental governance. It argues that in recent years, work in the international environmental field is focused more on the implementation of existing MEAs than on the development of new agreements. It argues that to deliver the intended environmental outcomes we need to increase efforts to negotiate practical issues and technical rules for implementation while also addressing gaps when promoting integration between MEAs.

The handbook begins with a brief history of MEAs and major conferences. It lays out the elements of MEAs, common provisions and the relationships between them. It reviews the “rules of the game” and gives an overview of the playing field and key actors. It also looks at structures and roles, provides approaches to drafting and strategic issues, surveys international cooperation issues, provides a synthesis perspective, and looks at a typical day in negotiations.