The IEA Database seeks to provide:
- a truly systematic, comprehensive and up to date list (i.e., the population) of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) -- plans are for the database to be updated at least every 6 months;
- an extensive (but necessarily incomplete) list of bilateral (BEAs) and other environmental agreements;
- basic information on each agreement (signature date, place of signature, entry into force date, members, responsible secretariat, etc.);
- the electronic texts (fully searchable) for all MEAs and a range of BEAs, including the original, as well as the current ("as amended"), versions of the texts;
- coded versions of a subset of MEAs that allow systematic comparison of agreement features;
- access to an extensive repository of "performance data" that can be used to assess institutional influence on state behavior.