INTERNATIONAL VERIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS: PROSPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT

Yuliya PIDGORODYNSKA

PIDGORODYNSKA Y. (2022), INTERNATIONAL VERIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS: PROSPECTS OF IMPROVEMENT; Scientific Bulletin of Dnipropetrovsk State University of Internal Affair, Special Issue №2, 609-614

DOI: 10.31733/2078-3566-2022-6-609-614

 

ABSTRACT. The article analyzes the current state of ensuring the fulfillment of international obligations in the field of environmental protection and concludes that it is unsatisfactory, given the fragmentation and decentralization of this process. The author determines that international verification should play a significant role in this aspect. It is emphasized that in the current situation despite numerous proposals regarding the institution of a specialized international environmental organization that could perform the functions of international compliance verification, it is unlikely that it will be created soon, given the reluctance of states to further limit sovereignty and bear additional costs for the maintenance of its bodies and personnel. In such a situation this function is almost entirely entrusted to the administrative bodies of the relevant international agreements on environmental protection, which are decentralized and often not endowed with significant powers to influence violators. So, for them to be more effective it is very important to establish cooperation and coordinate efforts, trying to fill the gaps in the legal regulation of environmental protection. In addition, the work explores possible prospects for the development of international verification in the context of the ecosystem approach application and the formation of obligations erga omnes. In particular, the emergence of the latter requires the creation of enforcement measures that could guarantee their fulfillment in the case of violations. But, first of all, the existence of compliance verification bodies is needed that would help to identify possible breaches of the obligations mentioned above.

Keywords: international verification, international compliance bodies, international environmental agreements, environmental obligations erga omnes.

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