Satya Nandan’s Contribution to the Development of the Precautionary Approach in International Law

Abstract

The emergence of the precautionary principle in international environmental policy and law was one of the most remarkable developments of the last quarter of the 20th century, and, arguably, one of the most significant in the emergence of the new discipline of international environmental law itself. It has generated a great deal of interest and controversy among the legal as well as scientific community, together with a growing literature, which continues in the 21st century. What has not been documented, perhaps, is the central role that Satya N. Nandan has played in a number of the legal processes and institutions which have given precaution such prominence in marine resource management. The main achievement of the Convention is, of course, the establishment of the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, with sufficient powers to perform its tasks effectively. Keywords: highly migratory fish stocks agreement; international environmental law; marine resource management; precautionary approach; Satya N. Nandan