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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Philippe Sands
Affiliation:
University College London
Paolo Galizzi
Affiliation:
University of London
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Summary

Editorial note

As it has developed, international environmental law raises many issues familiar to international human rights lawyers. In the environmental context, questions related to the existence and application of minimum international standards and the proper role of individuals and other non-governmental organisations in the international legal process have raised analogous issues to those arising in international human rights law. The development of international human rights lawpredates international environmental lawand provides a rich source of experience. Since the 1960s the two subjects have developed in parallel, intersecting with increasing frequency. The extent to which international environmental law should adopt an anthropocentric approach, based on the view that environmental protection is primarily justified as a means of protecting humans rather than as an end in itself, was an important issue at UNCED. The Rio Declaration supports an anthropocentric approach: the first Principle states that ‘Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.’ Legal developments in other for a and contexts, however, reflect a greater environmental consciousness and suggest that the protection of the environment is increasingly an objective justified in its own terms, and not simply a means of protecting humans.

Only two regional human rights treaties expressly recognise environmental rights, the African Charter and the San Salvador Protocol to the 1969 ACHR.

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Chapter
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Philippe Sands, University College London, Paolo Galizzi, University of London
  • Book: Documents in International Environmental Law
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139171380.050
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  • Introduction
  • Edited by Philippe Sands, University College London, Paolo Galizzi, University of London
  • Book: Documents in International Environmental Law
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139171380.050
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Edited by Philippe Sands, University College London, Paolo Galizzi, University of London
  • Book: Documents in International Environmental Law
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139171380.050
Available formats
×