International Rule for Environment and International Trade

국제환경규범(國際環境規範)과 무역연계(貿易連繫)

Environmental problems such as global climate change, depletion, ocean and air pollution, and resource degradation-compounded by an expanding world population-respect no border and threaten the health, prosperity and jobs of all mankind. Our efforts to promote democracy, free trade, and stability in the world will fall short unless people have a livable environment. We have an enormous stake in the management of the world's resources. By increasing demand for timber, natural gas, coal and consumer's goods have destroyed the grounds for living. Greenhouse gas emissions anywhere in the world have threatened coastal communities, and then changed the Earth's climate system. The burning of coal, oil, and other fossil fuels is increasing substantially the concentration of heat-trapping gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in our air. The earth's temperature and sea levels are rising as a result. Since 1972 there has been a marked growth in the number and scope of environmental treaties. In particular, after the 1992 Rio Conference, international legal instruments became more concentrated on addressing environment within the context of sustainable development and incorporated a number of new concepts and innovative approaches. A preliminary analysis of recent conventions and in particular those associated with the Rio Conference indicates various ideas, concepts and principles which have come to the fore including sustainable development, equity, common concern of humankind, common but differentiated responsibilities and global partnership. However, international trade also has an environmental impact which must be minimized or countered. Positive measures are to be preferred to achieve environmental goals, but where trade provisions are necessary, they should be appropriately used within environmental conventions to facilitate the reduction and limitation of the negative impacts of trade and to enhance the complementarity of the multilateral trade regime with the imperatives of environmental protection, in the interests of environmental protection and sustainable development generally. The international community has to recognize and endorse this need to achieve complementarity between trade and environment issues.