New UN Legal Report Addresses the Responsibility of States and Corporations for Environmental Damage in Conflict

May 21, 2019 | Stavros Pantazopoulos
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Now in its sixth year, the International Law Commission’s project to enhance the legal framework protecting the environment in relation to armed conflicts is nearing its end. Later this year, governments will have their say but this summer, seven new draft principles will be reviewed by the Commission. The most intriguing and provocative of these deal with questions of responsibility for environmental damage. In this blog, Stavros Pantazopoulos reviews the fifth and final report by the Commission’s Special Rapporteur, considers the legal basis for the new draft principles and identifies those areas where objections seem likely.