The role of international organisations in international law-making international environmental negotiations – an empirical study

Abstract

International organisations and institutions have become an important factor in international law-making process in the last decades. This is due to a number of factors, such as the knowledge gained in their areas of activities, the proliferation of international organisations, the danger of overlapping or even contradicting provisions in the various fields and the interrelationship between various areas of international law. Thus, international organisations and institutions are no longer seen as merely being advisors and observers to international law-making, but take a more active role as they are a source of expertise. This increased role of international organisations and institutions in international law-making is clearly demonstrated in the area of international environmental law by an empirical study analysing recent law-making processes, e.g. in the area of protection of the ozone layer and climate change.