This collection of essays commemorates the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. The opening presentation is by the distinguished former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Dr. Hans Blix, a primary author of the Stockholm Declaration. A second keynote abstract is by Professor Bjorn Lomborg, the renowned author of The Skeptical Environmentalist. The third keynote essay is by the United Nations Under Secretary-General of Legal Affairs, Hans Correl. The remainder of the volume includes contributions by six judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, senior representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Maritime Organization, World Bank, Swedish Foreign Ministry and United States Department of State along with 25 professors and environmental law experts from 15 countries. The collection provides a comprehensive, in-depth review of the historic achievement as well as current relevance of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration as a landmark achievement in international environmental law.

This collection of essays commemorates the Thirtieth Anniversary of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment. The opening presentation is by the distinguished former Foreign Minister of Sweden, Dr. Hans Blix, a primary author of the Stockholm Declaration. A second keynote abstract is by Professor Bjorn Lomborg, the renowned author of The Skeptical Environmentalist. The third keynote essay is by the United Nations Under Secretary-General of Legal Affairs, Hans Correl. The remainder of the volume includes contributions by six judges from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority, senior representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Maritime Organization, World Bank, Swedish Foreign Ministry and United States Department of State along with 25 professors and environmental law experts from 15 countries. The collection provides a comprehensive, in-depth review of the historic achievement as well as current relevance of the 1972 Stockholm Declaration as a landmark achievement in international environmental law.

The oceans cover more than seventy per cent of the surface of the planet and they provide many vital ecosystem services. However, the health of the world's oceans has been deteriorating over the past decades and the protection of the marine environment has emerged as one of the most pressing legal and political challenges for the international community. An effective solution depends upon the cooperation of all states towards achieving agreed objectives. This book provides a critical assessment of the role that international law plays in this process, by explaining and evaluating the various legal instruments that have been negotiated in this area, as well as key trends in global ocean governance. Starting with a detailed analysis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the book considers the main treaties and other legal texts that seeks to prevent, reduce, and control damage to the marine environment caused by navigation, seabed exploitation, fishing, dumping, and land-based activities, as well as emerging pressures such as ocean noise and climate change. The book demonstrates how international institutions have expanded their mandates to address a broader range of marine environmental issues, beyond basic problems of pollution control to include the conservation of marine biological diversity and an ecosystems approach to regulation. It also discusses the development of diverse regulatory tools to address anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment and the extent to which states have adopted a precautionary approach in different maritime sectors. Whilst many advances have been made in these matters, this book highlights the need for greater coordination between international institutions, as well as the desirability of developing stronger enforcement mechanisms for international environmental rules.

The international community has long grappled with the issue of safeguarding the environment and encouraging sustainable development, often with little result. The 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development was an emphatic attempt to address this issue, setting down 27 key principles for the international community to follow. These principles define the rights of people to sustainable development, and the responsibilities of states to safeguard the common environment. The Rio Declaration established that long term economic progress required a connection to environmental protection. It was designed as an authoritative and comprehensive statement of the principles of sustainable development law, an instrument to take stock of the past international and domestic practice, a guide for the design of new multilateral environmental regimes, and as a reference for litigation. This commentary provides an authoritative and comprehensive overview of the principles of the Declaration, written by over thirty inter-disciplinary contributors, including both leading practitioners and academics. Each principle is analysed in light of its origins and rationale. The book investigates each principle's travaux préparatoires setting out the main points of controversy and the position of different countries or groups. It analyses the scope and dimensions of each principle, providing an in-depth understanding of its legal effects, including whether it can be relied before a domestic or international court. It also assesses the impact of the principles on subsequent soft law and treaty development, as well as domestic and international jurisprudence. The authors demonstrate the ways in which the principles interact with each other, and finally provide a detailed analysis of the shortcomings and future potential of each principle. This book will be of vital importance to practitioners, scholars, and students of international environomental law and sustainable development.

"The introduction of invasive marine species into new environments, whether by ships’ ballast water, attached to ships’ hulls or via other means has been identified as one of the four main threats to the world’s oceans, along with land-based sources of marine pollution, over-exploitation of living marine resources and the physical alteration or destruction of marine habitat. Increased trade and the consequent greater volumes of maritime traffic over the last few decades have served to fuel the problem. The effects in many areas of the world have been serious and significant. Quantitative data show that the rate of bio-invasions is continuing to increase, in some cases exponentially, and new areas are being found to be invaded all the time. As volumes of seaborne trade continue overall to increase, the problem may not yet have reached its peak. In response, IMO first adopted Guidelines for Preventing the Introduction of Unwanted Organisms and Pathogens from Ships' Ballast Water and Sediment Discharges in 1991; while the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, recognized the issue as a major international concern. The IMO Guidelines have since been kept constantly under review and updated. Subsequently, in February 2004, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments was adopted. In providing a broad overview of the legal aspects related to marine pollution caused by ballast water and tank sediments, this book offers a pragmatic analysis of the current international legal system, and includes principles of international customary law and also references to a comprehensive environmental treaty law framework which relates the Ballast Water Convention to other treaties, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), MARPOL and the Convention on Biological Diversity. With such a wide-ranging approach, this book will certainly provide a source of valuable information for all those with a requirement to pursue the subject in depth." From the Foreword by Efthimios E. Mitropoulos

There Is A Growing Concern About The Change In Composition Of The Atmosphere, Depletion Of The Ozone Shield, Pollution Of Marines And Rapid Population Growth Leading To Alarming Imbalance Between Population And Resources. Concerted Efforts Are Being Made Across The World To Curb The Environmental Degradation. The Un Conference On The Human Environment Held In Stockholm In 1972 Marked The Beginning Of The Development Of International Environmental Law By Soft Law Mechanism. With The Un Convention On The Law Of The Sea, 1982, The State Parties Have Been Made Obligatory To Protect The Marine Environment, Including All The Resources Therein.The Present Book Is A Treatise On The Legal Regime Of The Marine Environment In The Bay Of Bengal. It Provides A Comprehensive Description And Assessment Of The Legal Regime Governing This Particular Maritime Area. It Focuses On Its Protection, Preservation And Development. It Deals With Fisheries As Well As The Protection Of The Environment Against Pollution And The Discharge Of Waste From Land.Beginning With The Study Of Fisheries Management In The Bay Of Bengal, The Book Includes In Its Study The Major Agreements And Protocols, International Documents On Marine Environment, Seabed Mining And Its Consequences, Settlement Of Environmental Disputes, And The Present-Day Socio-Economic Condition In The Bay Of Bengal Region. The Book Also Provides A Bibliography To Enable The Readers To Pursue Their Study Further. The Index That Completes The Book Would Prove A Useful Study-Aid To All Readers. Since The Study Is Embedded In The Global Perspective Of The Protection Of The Marine Environment, It Shall Be Of Significant Use To All Those In Coastal And Naval Services, Government Executives, Planners And Policy Makers Concerned With The Protection Of The Marine Environment. For The Scholars And Teachers Of International Law, It Is An Ideal Reference Book.

This book analyzes the law and policy for the management of global common resources. As competing demands on the global commons are increasing, the protection of environment and the pursuit of growth give rise to all sorts of conflicts. It also analyzes issues in the protection of the global commons from a fairness, effectiveness and world order perspective. The author examines whether policymaking and trends point to a fair allocation of global common resources that is effective in protecting the environment and the pursuit of sustainable development. The author looks at the cost-effectiveness of international environmental law and applies theories of national environmental law to international environmental problems. Chapters include analysis on areas such as marine pollution, air pollution, fisheries management, transboundary water resources, biodiversity, hazardous and radioactive waste management, state responsibility and liability.