International Environmental Law in the Asia Pacific

International Environmental Law and Policy Series

International Environmental Law in the Asia Pacific

By

BEN BOER

Australian Centrefor Environmental Law, Faculty qfLaw, University of Sydney ROSS RAMSAY Freehill, Hollingdale & Page, Sydney

DONALD R. ROTHWELL

Australian Centre for Environmental Law, Faculty ofLaw, University of Sydney

^ K L U W E R LAW INTERNATIONAL

LONDON - THE HAGUE - BOSTON

Contents

Foreword Preface List of Abbreviations List of Conventions, Treaties and other International Instruments List of Tables Treaties Table

Chapter 1: The Nature of International Environmental Law

1. Introduction 2. The Development of International Environmental Law

2.1. Decisions of Courts and Tribunals 2.2. Early Conventions 2.3. Stockholm Conference 2.4. Post-Stockholm Developments 2.5. Rio Conference 3. Principies of International Environmental Law 3.1. Obligation to Conserve the Environment and Natural

Resources 3.2. Assessment and Monitoring of Environmental Impact 3.3. International Co-operation 4. Sustainable Development 5. International Covenant on Environment and Development 6. Enforcement and Implementation of International Environmental Law 7. Relationship between Global and Regional Instruments 8. The Changing Nature of International Environmental Law 9. Conclusi?n

Chapter 2: International Organizations and International Environmental Law

1. Introduction 2. Global and Regional Organizations

xiii xv xxi xxiii xxxiii xxxiv

1

1 3 4 5 5 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 15

17 18 20 21

23

23 25

vi

Contents

3. Global Organizations Within the United Nations System

26

3.1. United Nations

26

3.2. United Nations Environment Programme

27

3.3. United Nations Development Programme

29

3.4. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization

30

3.5. World Bank

30

3.6. Global Environment Facility

31

3.7. The Commission on Sustainable Development

33

4. Intergovernmental Organizations Outside the United Nations

System

35

4.1. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

35

4.2. World Trade Organization

36

4.3. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum

36

5. Non-Governmental Organizations

37

5.1. IUCN--The World Conservation Union

37

5.2. Greenpeace

38

5.3. Worldwide Fund for Nature

39

5.4. The Nature Conservancy

39

6. Regional Organizations in the Pacific Regi?n

39

6.1. South Pacific Commission

40

6.2. South Pacific Forum

40

6.3. South Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency

40

6.4. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme

41

7. Regional Organizations in Asia

43

7.1. Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)

43

7.2. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

43

7.3. South Asia Co-operative Environmental Programme

44

7.4. Asian Development Bank

44

8. UNEP Regional Seas Programme

46

9. Conclusi?n

46

Chapter 3: Regional Environmental Issues and Responses

47

1. Review of Regional Environmental Issues

47

1.1. Biodiversity

48

1.2. Climate Change

49

1.3. Population Growth

50

1.4. Marine Environment

50

1.5. National and Transboundary Pollution

52

1.6. Sustainable Development

52

2. Regional Frameworks

53

2.1. Impact of Decolonisation and Independence

54

2.2. Impact of Colonial Powers

54

2.3. North/South Interaction

55

2.4. Parameters of Regulation

56

3. Overview of Legal Responses

58

Contents

vii

4. Responses to Transboundary Issues

61

4.1. Hazardous Wastes and Shipments

61

4.2. Nuclear Weapons and Testing

64

5. Conclusi?n

68

Chapter 4: Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage

71

1. 1954 Convention and Protocol for the Protection of Cultural

Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (Hague Convention)

72

2. UNESCO Convention

75

2.1. Basic Obligations

75

2.2. Services for the Protection of Cultural Heritage

75

2.3. Export and Import Procedures

76

2.4. International Assistance

76

2.5. Implementation of the UNESCO Convention in the

Asia Pacific

76

2.6. Link between the UNESCO Convention and the

UNIDROIT Convention

78

3. World Heritage Convention

78

3.1. Definition of "Cultural Heritage"

79

3.2. Outstanding Universal Valu? Criteria of Cultural Properties

79

3.3. Definition of "Natural Heritage"

80

3.4. Outstanding Universal Valu? Criteria of Natural Properties

80

3.5. Duties under the Convention

81

3.6. World Heritage in Danger List

81

3.7. Cultural Landscapes

82

3.8. Specialist Advice

82

3.9. World Heritage Fund

83

4. Implementation of the World Heritage Convention in the

Asia Pacific Regi?n

83

5. UNIDROIT Convention

85

5.1. Scope of the Convention

85

5.2. Obligations

86

5.3. Entry Into Forc?

86

6. ASEAN Agreement on the Environment: Protection of Cultural

and Natural Heritage

86

7. Indigenous Cultural Heritage

87

7.1. Indigenous Cultural Heritage in General

87

7.2. Indigenous Cultural Heritage in the Asia Pacific Regi?n

89

8. Intangible Heritage

90

9. Draft Convention on the Underwater Cultural Heritage

91

10. Conclusi?n

93

Chapter 5: Protection of Biol?gica! Diversity

95

1. Biodiversity: Valu?, Status and Threatening Processes

95

1.1. Valu? of Biodiversity

95

viii

Contents

1.2. Status of Biodiversity

96

1.3. Threatening Processes

98

2. Approaches to the Protection of Biodiversity

100

3. Global and Regional Responses

102

3.1. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

of Wild Fauna and Flora

105

3.2. Convention on Biological Diversity

108

3.3. ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and

Natural Resources

112

3.4. Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific

115

3.5. Environment Action Plan for the South Pacific Regi?n

115

3.6. Migratory Birds Agreements

117

3.7. Global Environment Facility Projects

117

4. Conclusi?n

119

Chapter 6: Protection of the Marine Environment

1. Threats to the Marine Environment 2. Global Conventions for the Protection of the Marine Environment

2.1. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 2.1.1. Specific Pollution Provisions of UNCLOS 2.1.2. Additional Marine Environmental Protection Provisions

2.2. International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

2.3. Intervention Convention 2.4. Civil Liability Convention 2.5. Fund Convention 2.6. London Convention 2.7. Oil Pollution Preparedness Convention 3. Regional Issues and Responses 3.1. SPREP Convention 3.2. Ship-based Marine Pollution 3.3. Land-based Marine Pollution 3.4. Marine Living Resource Management 3.5. Protection of Special Marine ?reas 4. Future Directions

121

123 124

125 126 126

127 129 130 131 131 132 133 134 137 138 140 141 143

Chapter 7: Climate Change

145

1. Process and Impacts of Climate Change

145

1.1. Process of Climate Change

145

1.2. Impacts of Climate Change

148

2. Framework Convention on Climate Change

152

2.1. Commitments under the FCCC

154

2.2. Financial Assistance under the FCCC

158

2.3. Other Issues under the FCCC

161

Contents

ix

3. Regional Responses to Climate Change

162

3.1. Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)

163

3.2. Asia Pacific Leaders' Conference on Climate Change and the

Manila Declaration

164

3.3. Regional Action Plan for Climate Change in Asia Pacific

165

3.4. South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme, Climate

Change Action Plan and Work Programme

166

3.5. Regional Activities of the Global Environmental Facility and

Asian Development Bank

167

4. Conclusi?n

170

Chapter 8: Trade-Related Environment Issues

171

1. Trade and Environment Linkages

172

1.1. Free Trade and Economic Growth

172

1.2. Free Trade and Environmental Standards

174

1.3. Free Trade and Multilateral Environmental Agreements

177

2. Global Developments

178

2.1. GATT/WTO Trading System

179

2.2. Environmental Issues under the GATT/WTO Trading System 180

2.3. Environmental Issues After the Uruguay Round of Trade

Negotiations

183

3. Regional Developments

186

3.1. ASEAN Free Trade ?rea (AFTA)

188

3.2. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC)

189

4. Conclusi?n

192

Chapter 9: Subregional and State Responses

193

1. Subregional Responses

195

Chapter 10: Mekong Regi?n

199

1. Environmental Challenges in the Mekong Regi?n

200

2. Regional Responses to Environmental Problems

201

3. The Mekong River Agreement

201

4. National Implementation of Global and Regional Conventions in

Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos

203

5. Cambodia

203

5.1. International Conventions

204

5.2. National Laws

204

6. Vietnam

205

6.1. Environmental Conventions and Agreements to which Vietnam

is a Party

206

6.2. Compliance with International Obligations

206

6.3. Development of Vietnam's Environmental Legislation and

Administration

208

x

Contents

6.4. Administrative Structures Relating to the Environment

209

6.5. Reforms

209

7. Laos

209

7.1. International Environmental Conventions

210

7.2. Domestic Implementation of Environmental Conventions

211

8. Conclusi?n

213

Chapter 11: China

215

1. Environmental Challenges in China

215

2. China's Agenda 21

217

3. Implementing Institutions

217

3.1. The Environmental Protection Commission and the National

Environmental Protection Agency

217

4. National Environmental Laws

219

5. National Implementation of Global and Regional Conventions

220

6. Reforms

222

Chapter 12: The ASEAN Regi?n

1. The ASEAN Regi?n and its Environmental Issues 2. Responses by ASEAN to Environmental Concerns

2.1. Declarations and Institutional Features 2.2. ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and

Natural Resources 2.3. ASEAN Strategic Plan of Action on the Environment

1994-1998 2.3.1. Objectives 2.3.2. Strategies 2.4. ASEAN Responses to Particular Environmental Issues 2.4.1. Tropical Timber 2.4.2. Harmonization of Environmental Standards 2.4.3. ASEAN Co-operation Plan on Transboundary Pollution

1995 2.4.4. Financial Resources 3. Adoption of International and Regional Environmental Agreements by ASEAN Member Countries 3.1. Indonesia 3.1.1. International Conventions 3.2. Malaysia 3.2.1 International Conventions 3.3. The Philippines 3.3.1 International Conventions 3.4. Singapore 3.4.1. International Conventions 3.5. Tha?and 3.5.1. International Conventions

225

225 226 226

227

229 230 230 232

232 233

233 234

235 235

235 236

237 237

238 238

239 239

239

Contents

3.6. Brunei 3.6.1. International Conventions

4. Conclusi?n

xi

240 240

241

Chapter 13: Southwest Pacific

243

1. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

247

2. International Legal Framework

249

2.1. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

251

2.2. South Pacific Forum Fisheries Convention and

related Instruments

252

2.3. South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty

255

2.4. Convention on the Conservation of Nature in the South

Pacific (Apia Convention)

255

2.5. 1986 Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources

and Environment of the South Pacific (SPREP Convention)

256

2.6. 1989 Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long

Drift-nets in the South Pacific

259

2.7. 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change

259

2.8. Convention on Biological Diversity

261

2.9. Waigani Convention

261

2.10. Barbados Declaration

263

3. Implementing International Environmental Conventions in the

South Pacific

263

4. Future of Environmental Law in the Pacific

264

Chapter 14: Australia and New Zealand

265

1. Regional Environmental Issues

267

2. International Instruments of Significance in the Regi?n

268

3. Regional Environmental Agreements

269

4. National Implementation of Global and Regional Conventions

271

4.1. Australian Responses

271

4.1.1. Marine Environment

273

4.1.2. World Heritage

21A

4.1.3. UNCED Responses

275

4.1.4. Australian Courts

276

4.2. New Zealand Responses

279

4.2.1. Legislative Responses

279

4.2.2. Administrative Responses to International Environmental Law 28

5. Conclusi?n

282

Chapter 15: Interaction between Global and Regional

International Environmental Law

285

1. The Legal Rules

286

1.1. Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

287

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download