Principles of Sustainable Development for Resource Conservation in International Law

Abstract

Both the definition and the legal status of the concept of sustainable development have been hotly contested. Is it genuinely a legal precept? These discussions are linked because it is difficult to adopt or apply the sustainable development concept in the legal system in a clear manner due to the terminology’s ambiguity and general vagueness. Legal academics have often classified “sustainable development” as a notion, a goal, a policy target, a directive, an ideal, a meta-principle, a questionable international legal norm, a concept, or a legal precept. However, since its emergence in international environmental law in 1992, both domestic and international courts have increasingly alluded to sustainable development when drafting environmental and other accords. The more often sustainable development has been mentioned, whether as an aim or a principle, its normative authority and legal standing have grown. It may be said with authority that incorporating environmental issues into decision-making processes is a requirement under the law. Thus, this article attempts to show the general principles and rules of international environmental law that have emerged from international treaties, agreements, and customs. This work submits that the significance of the generality of these principles is that they can be applied to the international community for the protection of the environment.

Keywords

• International law
• Sustainable Development
• Resource Conservation
• International Treaties

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