The Evolution of Local Involvement in International Conservation Law

Abstract

The presence of civil society at international conferences dealing with the environment is staggering. The long list of non-government participants at the Conferences of the Parties (COP) of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),1 or the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)2 demonstrates that there is a vested interest in non-governmental fora to participate in gatherings of international organizations in which decisions are being taken that affect the well-being of this planet. To use environmental parlance, the habitat of these organizations is consequently not one that is solely inhabited by nation-states, but it is one that also has attracted other species that derive from other administrative origins. Civil society organizations usually attend the meetings as observers, often with the right to participate but not with a right to have a vote.3 After all, nation-states are the main stakeholders in international environmental law. The Westphalian principle de jure remains, having prompted United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres to conclude that ‘there exists a significant gap in international environmental law regarding effective participation by non-State actors in international law-making and implementation.’4