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8 Stan. J. Int'l Stud. 113 (1973)
Creating Mechanisms for International Environmental Action: Requirements and Response

handle is hein.journals/stanit8 and id is 123 raw text is: Creating Mechanisms for International Environmental Action: Requirements and Response* THOMAS W. WILSON, JR.t T OWARD THE END of its last session-and after considerable in-fight- ing-the United Nations General Assembly approved the establish- ment of new machinery to carry out the Action Plan adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stock- holm in June 1972.' How adequate was this institutional response to the formidable conceptual and operational difficulties involved in coping with a deteriorating global environment? To provide a benchmark for answering that question, we must first consider what kinds of organiza- tional arrangements are ideally suited for meeting our present global environmental crisis. I. THE REQUIREMENTS FOR AN EFFECTIVE INTERNATIONAL ENVIOLONMENTAL ORGANIZATION Conservation of naturAl resoprces and protection of man's life-sup- port system are obviotysy essenti2l components of any rational environ- mental policy, nationM or interational. An exclusively protectionist policy, however, is an irncomqplete and shallow response to the problems of the human environment. It wofld begin and end with restrictive ac- tions involving surveillaice, standards, controls, enforcement and ma- chinery for the prevention and k-ttlement of disputes. A proper perception of the 91cbal environmental issue extends be- The first part of this article is drawh fronr a report entitled The Human Environ- ment: Science and International DecisiQn-4taking, prepared in the summer of 1971 by the Aspen Workshop of the Aspen Institute of Humnistic Studies as a Basic Paper for the Stockholm Conference Secretariat. The PapO-, whose purpose was to examine the institu- tional implications of a deired agreement on intepnational environmental questions, was the end-product of a seven-week workshop inNiblving fifty-five nongovernmental participants and consultants from around the world. For the background to the Aspen Workshop, see the Foreword by J. E. Slater, President of the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studiesi to Thomas Wilson's book INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION (1971). t Vice President for Programs, International Institute for Environmental Affairs. 1See Report of the United Nations Conference opi the Human Environment held at Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972, U.N. Doc. A/CONF. 48/14 (1972).

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