Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Report - Executive Summary

United Nations Environment Programme

Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Report - Executive Summary

dc.contributor.author	United Nations Environment Programme
dc.contributor.organization	Law Division
dc.date.accessioned	2019-02-07T08:44:04Z
dc.date.available	2019-02-07T08:44:04Z
dc.date.issued	2019
dc.description	This document presents the executive summary of the first global assessment of environmental rule of law, explaining how robust laws must be understood, respected, and enforced to keep societies within ecological limits and to realize the Sustainable Development Goals. It traces rapid legal growth since the 1970s and 1990s, noting that by 2017 many countries had framework laws, constitutional protections, and cabinet-level environmental institutions, yet implementation has lagged. Causes include unclear mandates, poor tailoring to local conditions, weak and underfunded agencies, and a backlash against defenders and civil society, shortcomings seen in both developing and developed contexts. The report proposes regular global assessments using consistent indicators, pilot testing and exchange of approaches, and practical steps such as clarifying institutional mandates, building public capacity, protecting defenders, specialized courts, administrative enforcement, and targeted research, highlighting benefits that extend to health, development, peace, and rights. Full report is available at: https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/27279	en
dc.description.uri	https://www.unep.org/resources/assessment/environmental-rule-law-first-global-report
dc.format	pdf
dc.identifier.uri	https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/27376
dc.language	English
dc.language	French
dc.language	Spanish
dc.language	Russian
dc.language	Chinese
dc.language	Arabic
dc.page.number	2 p.
dc.rights.accessLevel	Public
dc.subject	environmental law
dc.subject.sdg	SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
dc.subject.sdg	SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
dc.subject.theme	administration
dc.subject.theme	environmental governance
dc.title	Environmental Rule of Law: First Global Report - Executive Summary	en
dc.title.alternative	سيادة القانون البيئي: التقرير العالمي الأول – الملخص التنفيذي	ar
dc.title.alternative	环境法治：首份全球报告——执行摘要	zh
dc.title.alternative	L'État de droit en matière d'environnement : Premier rapport mondial – Résumé analytique	fr
dc.title.alternative	Экологическое верховенство права: Первый глобальный доклад — Резюме для руководителей	ru
dc.type	Policy brief
wd.identifier.sdgio	http://purl.unep.org/sdg/SDGIO_00000050
wd.identifier.sdgio	http://purl.unep.org/sdg/SDGIO_00000051