The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development: A Commentary

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 preparatoires 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. Contributors to this volume - Virginie Barral, University of Hertfordshire Annyssa Bellal, Geneva Call Louise Doswald Beck, The Graduate Institute Lawrence Boisson de Chazournes, University of Geneva Leslie-Anne Duvic-Paoli, The Graduate Institute Neil Craik, University of Waterloo Philippe Cullet, SOAS Pierre-Marie Dupuy, The Graduate Institute Jonas Ebbesson, Stockholm University Malgosia Fitzmaurice, Queen Mary Francesco Francioni, University of Siena Gilles Giacca, Oxford University Christophe Golay, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Mamadou Hebie, Graduate Institute for International Studies and Development Marie Jacobsson, University of Lund Magnus Jesko Langer, The Graduate Institute Takhmina Karimova, The Graduate Institute Martina Kunz- Cambridge University Claire Mahon, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Sandrine Maljean-Dubois, C.N.R.S. Makane Moise Mbengue, University of Geneva Claire Molinari, University of Oxford Elisa Morgera, University of Edinburgh Phoebe Okowa, Queen Mary Riccardo Pavoni, University of Siena Jacqueline Peel, University of Melbourne Nicholas Robinson, Pace Law School Peter Sand, University of Munich Philippe Sands, University College London Priscilla Schwartz University of East London Dinah Shelton, George Washington University Tim Stephens, University of Sidney Mara Tignino, University of Geneva Marie-Louise Tougas C.I.C.R Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade, Judge, International Court of Justice Christina Voigt, University of Oslo Margaret Young, University of Melbourne