UNGA as the Anchor Global Environmental Conferencing

Abstract

The global environmental conferences convened by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) during the last fifty years have contributed to the development of international environmental law and institution-building. Yet, given the deteriorating state of the global environment they are but one element of international environmental governance. While they were important Lo bring environmental issues to the allention of states, the Lime for agenda-setting seems over. Rather the international community must move on lo the implementation of existing binding and non-binding rules and principles. While the UNGA continues lo play an important role in the context of sustainable development and the Agenda 2030 process and is, indeed a stable platform for international cooperation on environmental issues, it seems that the time for comprehensive global environmental conferences may have come to an end, unless more innovative mechanisms for the implementation of international environmental law and policy are brought forward.