In recent years, the debate on the establishment of a new international agency on environmental protection - a 'World Environment Organization' - has gained substantial momentum. Several countries, including France and Germany, as well as a number of leading experts and senior international civil servants have openly supported the creation of such a new international organization. However, a number of critics have also taken the floor and brought forward important objections. This book presents a balanced selection of articles of the leading participants in this debate, including both major supporters and opponents of creating a World Environment Organization. The volume is especially relevant to students and scholars of international relations, environmental policy and international law, as well as to practitioners of diplomacy, international negotiations, and environmental policy making.

In 2003, UN Secretary-General Annan appealed to the international community to reform the United Nations system. A high-level panel was established to elaborate proposals, which shall be presented to the General Assembly in 2005. In this context, French President Chirac called for establishing a new United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO), to evolve from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). France set up a working group on this issue, consisting of 26 countries and the EU Commission, and including both supporters and critics of the initiative. The aim is to work out a concept for a UNEO by 2005. In parallel, continued efforts are made to strengthen UNEP. Reform aims at enhancing its financial basis, expanding the membership of the UNEP Governing Council to all UN Member States and increasing the activities in the fields of science and capacity building. The present volume, which consists of a series of contributions by internationally renounced authors, analyzes gaps and weaknesses of the present system of global environmental governance, and highlights the various aspects, challenges and necessities, of a political and scientific nature alike, of both reforming UNEP and creating a new environment organization in context of the major United Nations reform effort.

Provides a comparative study of the role of international organizations in environmental governance and features case studies on the World Bank; OECD; the UN Environment Programme and secretariats to environmental treaties; and hybrid organizations.

The authors tell the story of how the community of nations, nongovernmental organizations, scientists, and multinational corporations have created an unprecedented set of laws and institutions intended to help solve large-scale environmental problems.

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, UN Environment's sixth Global Environment Outlook calls on decision makers to take bold and urgent action to address pressing environmental issues in order to protect the planet and human health. By bringing together hundreds of scientists, peer reviewers and collaborating institutions and partners, the GEO reports build on sound scientific knowledge to provide governments, local authorities, businesses and individual citizens with the information needed to guide societies to a truly sustainable world by 2050. GEO-6 outlines the current state of the environment, illustrates possible future environmental trends and analyses the effectiveness of policies. This flagship report shows how governments can put us on the path to a truly sustainable future - emphasising that urgent and inclusive action is needed to achieve a healthy planet with healthy people. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.