• Title/Summary/Keyword: International Environmental Law

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A Comparison of Environment Clauses under Korea-China FTA and Korea-U.S. FTA (한·중 FTA 및 한·미 FTA의 환경조항 비교)

  • PAK, Myong-Sop;KIM, Sang-Man;WOO, Jung-Wouk
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.69
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    • pp.567-588
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    • 2016
  • Korea-China FTA and Korea-U.S. FTA are the most significant FTA in volume and economic effect for Korea's perspective. Developed countries have dealt with environmental issues one of the main issues in FTA negotiation, while developing countries have been reluctant to it. Both Korea-China FTA and Korea-U.S. FTA have separate environment chapter respectively. A separate environment chapter was firstly introduced in Korea-U.S. for Korea's perspective. Both environment chapters provide high level of environment protection, recognition of multilateral environmental agreements, enforcement of environmental laws, and environmental cooperation. Both environment chapters require that each party make effort to improve environmental laws and measures. Korea-China FTA provides establishment a "Committee on Environment and Trade", and Korea-U.S. FTA provides establishment a "Environment Council" to oversee the implementation of environment clauses. Korea-China FTA and Korea-U.S. FTA have very similar provisions on environment and trade, and are expected to contribute to enhancing environment protection. However, a lot of provisions are somewhat declaratory rather than mandatory. Therefore, further environmental cooperation is encouraged to achieve the goals and objectives of the environment clauses and FTA.

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A Study on the Concept Recognition Possibility of Ecorefugee

  • Park, Jong-Ryeol;Noe, Sang-Ouk
    • Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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    • v.21 no.5
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    • pp.177-184
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    • 2016
  • Since 1980s, 30 years has passed after issues on environmental refugee began to appear. However, why environmental refugee is not considered as refugee officially in international society? Above all, it seems that main point is the responsibility given to those developed countries if they, whom led the climate changes, officially acknowledge environmental refugee. The problem is that environmental refugee has no direct responsibility for causing climate changes. Actually. the responsibility should be granted to the developed and industrialized countries which caused climate changes. In accordance to the refugee protection system established under current international law, it is difficult to include them into refugee category and thus, they can hardly have enough support. It is urgently needed that new refugee treat which have the new standard and solution added to it shall be adopted. To allow new refugee treat to be effective it is compulsory to have constant and binding policy determination and willingness of execution from a united international organization. Of course, before this, countries should try to have common recognition on recognizing new refugee problem and its seriousness as well as solving those problems together. In reality, it is worth considering adoption of semi-forceable type of system as a more effective way, which allocates responsibility of accepting refugee by amount of carbon emitted. Also, as refugee issue has an important influence on mother company and the third countries, execution process of the system has to be defined clearly. For those permanent organizations, they should accurately define environmental factors making refugee and set standards to minimize possibility of abuse and misuse.

The Legitimacy of Trade Measures for Environmental Protection (환경보호(環境保護)를 위한 국제통상규제(國際通商規制)의 합법성(合法性))

  • Lee, Shin-Kyu
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.12
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    • pp.615-641
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    • 1999
  • Trade and the environment emerged as a major and complex issue for trade negotiators in the final stages of the Uruguay Round negotiations. The agreements and other international measures employing trade measures and trade sanctions for achieving global environmental objectives are Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer(1985), the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer(1987), The Framework Convention on Climate Change(1992), the Convention on Biological Diversity(1992), the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal(1992), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Faunna and Flora(1975), the Rio Declaration, the Agenda 21, etc. The texts of the World Trade Organization(WTO) incorporated certain provisions which were designed to reflect some of the environmental concerns are Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Properity Rights(TRIPs), Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs), the General Agreement on Trade in Services(GATS), and Technical Barriers to Trade(TBT) There is the possibility of conflict between multilateral environmental agreements and WTO agreements granting waivers against trade measures and sanctions. This remains a possibility, especially between countries which are Member of WTO and which are not Members of the relevant multilateral environment agreements, and countries which are Members of both the WTO and the relevant MEAs. Measures taken under the trade-related provisions of MEAs could potentially give rise to conflicts under obligations arising in WTO texts. If the parties in dispute are WTO members while they are not members of MEAs, the WTO provisions can be granted a certain priority in terms of international norms and vice versa. When the parties concerned are both WTO members and MEAs, it will be rational to grant the WTO provisions a priority. However, such measures should neither constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between countries where similar conditions prevail, nor create a disguised restriction on trade. Also any trade measures taken should be necessary to prevent developments in trade from endangering the effectiveness of an MEA and they should be proportional and least trade restrictive.

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International Space Law on the Protection of the Environment (환경보호에 관한 국제 우주법연구)

  • Kim, Han-Taek
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.205-236
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    • 2010
  • This article deals with international space law for the environmental protection in outer space especially for space debris arising from space activities. After studying 1967 Outer Space Treaty, 1968 Rescue Agreement, 1972 Liability Convention, 1975 Registration Convention and 1979 Moon Agreement, we could find few provisions dealing with space environment in those treaties. During the earlier stages of the space age, which began in the late 1950s, the focus of international law makers was the establishment of the basic rules of space law governing the states' activities in outer space. Consequently the environmental issues and the risks that might arise from the generation of the space debris did not receive priority attention within the context of the development international space law. Although the phrases such as 'harmful contamination', 'harmful interference', 'disruption of the environment', 'adverse changes in the environment' and 'harmfully affecting' in relation to space environment were used in 1967 Outer Space Treaty and 1979 Moon Agreement, their true meaning was not definitely settled. Although 1972 Liability Convention deals with compensation, whether the space object covers space debris is unclear despite the case of Cosmos 954. In this respect international lawyers suggest the amendment of the space treaties and new space treaty covering the space environmental problems including the space debris. The resolutions, guidelines and draft convention are also studied to deal with space environment and space debris. In 1992 the General Assembly of the United Nations passed resolution 47/68 titled "Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space" for the NPS use in outer space. The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee; IADC) issued some guidelines for the space debris which were the basis of "the UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" approved by COPUOS in its 527th meeting. In 1994 the 66th conference of ILA adopted "International Instrument on the Protection of the Environment from Damage Caused by Space Debris". Although those resolutions, guidelines and draft convention are not binding states, there are some provisions which have a fundamentally norm-creating character and softs laws.

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A Study on Major Issues of Space Law & Policy and the Direction of Their future Development (우주법(宇宙法)과 정책(政策)의 주요과제(主要課題)와 전개방향(展開方向)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究))

  • Hong, Soon-Kil
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.5
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    • pp.77-100
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    • 1993
  • The paper is to study and analyze the major issues and current problems of space law and policy to suggest the direction of Korean aerospace policy for future development facing the 21st century of air and space industry. It briefs the development of aerospace science and space law. It also outlines the special characteristics and present status of space law. It further reviews the regulatory regime of commercial space carriers, international telecommunication satelite and space environmental problems. Finally, it suggests the future directions of Korean space policy to develop as one of leading space countries in the 21st century.

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A Study on Logistics Integration and Logistics Performance of Shipping Firms in International Logistics (국제물류에서 해운기업의 물류통합과 물류성과에 관한 연구)

  • Yun, Kwang-Woon;Ha, Myung-Shin;Bae, Hee-Sung
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.26
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    • pp.143-172
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    • 2005
  • The biggest exchange of international environment of shipping logistics in 21 century should appear ultra-mega container ships on the shipping market. The competitive trend of large size container ship was based on economics of scale among the international shipping business. In the environment, shipping firms consider the integration of freight forwarder and shipper in the international logistics process. The aims of this research analyse a relation between the environment uncertainty and logistics information system(LIS) and the integration and resolve the integration and its impact on logistics performance. The research methodology of this research analyse structural equation modeling on the relation of variables. The results of research are as follows. First, Environmental uncertainty significantly influences the internal integration and the external integration. Second, LIS has an influence on the logistics integration by providing the foundation for LIS utilization in international logistics process. Third, the internal integration significantly influences a logistics performance, which implies that firms should promote interaction and collaboration through internal process integration to achieve logistics performance as the logistical cost and service. But the external integration is not significantly a logistics performance.

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International Safety Management(ISM) Code and Duty of Due Diligence of Ocean Carrier (국제안전관리규약(國際安全管理規約)(ISM Code)과 해상운송인(海上運送人)의 주의의무(注意義務))

  • Yang, Jung-Ho
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.13
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    • pp.469-492
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    • 2000
  • "International Safety Management(ISM) Code" means the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention as adopted by the Assembly, as may be amended by the International Maritime Organization. This Code have brought into force internationally since 1th July, 1998 by incorporated to the new Chapter Ⅸ in the SOLAS Convention. Accordingly those States which give effect to the SOLAS Convention will have to ensure that rules giving effect to the Code are introduced into their domestic legislation. The purpose of this Code is to provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention, by this to reduce the maritime casualty which could caused by neglect of person. To achieve this purpose the ISM Code specifies a number of broad 'safety management objectives' for owning or operation companies, and it requires that such companies should establish, implementing and maintain a written Safety Management System(SMS) covering a whole range of safety environmental and related matters. These requirements of the Code could effect on the carrier in some points such as duty of due diligence to care for cargo, due diligence to make the vessel seaworthy and burden of proof etc. In this respect, We should know that the ISM Code could effect on the carrier advantageously or disadvantageously subject to whether the carrier observed the requirement of the ISM Code. Although it does not add cause of liability or increase limitation of liability imposed to the carrier.

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Changes in China's Rare Earth Industry Policy and their Implications (중국 희토류산업정책의 변화와 정책적 함의)

  • PARK, In-Sop;SONG, Jae-Do
    • THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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    • v.71
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    • pp.297-324
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    • 2016
  • China not only has the largest amount of rare earth reserves, but it also produces the most rare earth products. However, China lacks appropriate supervision and management systems of its rare earth industry. The Chinese government's inappropriate mechanisms have been cause for reckless development by national rare earth providers characterized by excessive competition, environmental pollution, and smuggling. In response to the problems, China implemented regulatory measures to restructure the rare earth industry. The Chinese central government intensifies its efforts to control the total quantity of rare earth products and tackle environmental pollution. Six leading conglomerates have been selected to promote the Chinese central government's policy. A new environmental guideline has been drawn up to reduce the discharging of wastewater and air pollution substance. Huge transition and a great influence of its policy changes are expected. These policy changes are bound to entail huge transitions, and the policy is expected to have a great influence in the future structure of the rare earth industry. In consideration of these changes, the Korean government, in collaboration with private enterprises needs to take appropriate measures, such as overseas resources development, R&D expansion, tactical stockpiling, professional manpower training and so on.

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The Role of the Soft Law for Space Debris Mitigation in International Law (국제법상 우주폐기물감축 연성법의 역할에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Han-Taek
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.30 no.2
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    • pp.469-497
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    • 2015
  • In 2009 Iridium 33, a satellite owned by the American Iridium Communications Inc. and Kosmos-2251, a satellite owned by the Russian Space Forces, collided at a speed of 42,120 km/h and an altitude of 789 kilometers above the Taymyr Peninsula in Siberia. NASA estimated that the satellite collision had created approximately 1,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters, in addition to many smaller ones. By July 2011, the U.S. Space Surveillance Network(SSN) had catalogued over 2,000 large debris fragments. On January 11, 2007 China conducted a test on its anti-satellite missile. A Chinese weather satellite, the FY-1C polar orbit satellite, was destroyed by the missile that was launched using a multistage solid-fuel. The test was unprecedented for having created a record amount of debris. At least 2,317 pieces of trackable size (i.e. of golf ball size or larger) and an estimated 150,000 particles were generated as a result. As far as the Space Treaties such as 1967 Outer Space Treaty, 1968 Rescue Agreement, 1972 Liability Convention, 1975 Registration Convention and 1979 Moon Agreement are concerned, few provisions addressing the space environment and debris in space can be found. In the early years of space exploration dating back to the late 1950s, the focus of international law was on the establishment of a basic set of rules on the activities undertaken by various states in outer space.. Consequently environmental issues, including those of space debris, did not receive the priority they deserve when international space law was originally drafted. As shown in the case of the 1978 "Cosmos 954 Incident" between Canada and USSR, the two parties settled it by the memorandum between two nations not by the Space Treaties to which they are parties. In 1994 the 66th conference of International Law Association(ILA) adopted "International Instrument on the Protection of the Environment from Damage Caused by Space Debris". The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee(IADC) issued some guidelines for the space debris which were the basis of "the UN Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines" which had been approved by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space(COPUOS) in its 527th meeting. On December 21 2007 this guideline was approved by UNGA Resolution 62/217. The EU has proposed an "International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities" as a transparency and confidence-building measure. It was only in 2010 that the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee began considering as an agenda item the long-term sustainability of outer space. A Working Group on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities was established, the objectives of which include identifying areas of concern for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, proposing measures that could enhance sustainability, and producing voluntary guidelines to reduce risks to long-term sustainability. By this effort "Guidelines on the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities" are being under consideration. In the case of "Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exp1oration and Use of Outer Space" adopted by UNGA Resolution 1962(XVIII), December 13 1963, the 9 principles proclaimed in that Declaration, although all of them incorporated in the Space Treaties, could be regarded as customary international law binding all states considering the time and opinio juris by the responses of the world. Although the soft law such as resolutions, guidelines are not binding law, there are some provisions which have a fundamentally norm-creating character and customary international law. In November 12 1974 UN General Assembly recalled through a Resolution 3232(XXIX) "Review of the role of International Court of Justice" that the development of international law may be reflected, inter alia, by the declarations and resolutions of the General Assembly which may to that extend be taken into consideration by the judgements of the International Court of Justice. We are expecting COPUOS which gave birth 5 Space Treaties that it could give us binding space debris mitigation measures to be implemented based on space debris mitigation soft law in the near future.

A Comparative Study between Space Law and the Law of the Sea (우주법과 해양법의 비교 연구)

  • Kim, Han-Taek
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.24 no.2
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    • pp.187-210
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    • 2009
  • Space law(or outer space law) and the law of the sea are branches of international law dealing with activities in geographical ares which do not or do only in part come under national sovereignty. Legal rules pertaining to the outer space and sea began to develop once activities emerged in those areas: amongst others, activities dealing with transportation, research, exploration, defense and exploitation. Naturally the law of the sea developed first, followed, early in the twentieth century, by air law, and later in the century by space law. Obviously the law of the sea, of the air and of outer space influence each other. Ideas have been borrowed from one field and applied to another. This article examines some analogies and differences between the outer space law and the law of the sea, especially from the perspective of the legal status, the exploration and exploitation of the natural resources and environment. As far as the comparisons of the legal status between the outer space and high seas are concerned the two areas are res extra commercium. The latter is res extra commercium based on both the customary international law and treaty, however, the former is different respectively according to the customary law and treaty. Under international customary law, whilst outer space constitutes res extra commercium, celestial bodies are res nullius. However as among contracting States of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, both outer space and celestial bodies are declared res extra commercium. As for the comparisons of the exploration and exploitation of natural resources between the Moon including other celestial bodies in 1979 Moon Agreement and the deep sea bed in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the both areas are the common heritage of mankind. The latter gives us very systematic models such as International Sea-bed Authority, however, the international regime for the former will be established as the exploitation of the natural resources of the celestial bodies other than the Earth is about to become feasible. Thus Moon Agreement could not impose a moratorium, but would merely permit orderly attempts to establish that such exploitation was in fact feasible and practicable, by allowing experimental beginnings and thereafter pilot operations. As Professor Carl Christol said until the parties of the Moon Agreement were able to put into operation the legal regime for the equitable sharing of benefits, they would remain free to disregard the Common Heritage of Mankind principle. Parties to one or both of the agreements would retain jurisdiction over national space activities. In so far as the comparisons of the protection of the environment between the outer space and sea is concerned the legal instruments for the latter are more systematically developed than the former. In the case of the former there are growing tendencies of concerning the environmental threats arising from space activities these days. There is no separate legal instrument to deal with those problems.

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