The negotiations in Geneva are being conducted under the auspices of the U.N. Environment Program and are to be followed in the summer by a major conference on mercury in Edinburgh, where scientists and policy makers will discuss how to implement a treaty.
With the legal powers he holds as president, Obama could both sign and implement a treaty on climate.
I wouldn't say the legal footing for signing and implementing a climate treaty enjoys consensus, but it's far surer than the basis for killing people abroad with drones, or tapping foreign leaders' mobile phones.
Without a clear indication from Congress to the contrary, an act implementing an international treaty "does not cover the unremarkable local offence at issue here".
Adding to the challenge of implementing a comprehensive international treaty, all independent Pacific Island nations are also described as small island developing states (SIDS).
To receive them, Goode had to get special permission from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which implements a multilateral treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES.
Some global supporters of gun control, in particular, say the Connecticut shootings underline the urgent need to implement a proposed treaty curbing the international trade in small arms, in part to prevent such tragedies.
With the exception of obliging the U.S. to new public finance contributions, since he needs Congress to appropriate new money, Obama doesn't need legislation to implement a climate treaty.
The drug wars of the past are just that, but the narcotic trade is still strong in the countryside of Colombia and it still has a negative impact on society as the Colombian government works to implement a peace treaty and more.
However, the likelihood of successfully implementing a legally binding global climate treaty will depend to a large degree on the macroeconomic impacts of different policy options on developing and emerging economies.
