Legal instruments dealing for scientific uncertainty in precautionary principle from the perspective of International Environment Law

Subject Areas : environmental management

Seyed Abbas Poorhashemi ¹ , Azam Parandeh Motlagh ²

1 - Professor Assistant, Environment and Energy Faculty, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Campus, Tehran, Iran & President of the Canadian Institute for International Law Expertise (CIFILE), Toronto, Canada *(Corresponding author)
2 - - PhD, Environment and Energy Faculty, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Campus, Tehran, Iran

Received: 2015-05-10 Accepted : 2015-06-21 Published : 2017-06-22

Keywords: Precautionary principle, Scientific uncertainty, International Environmental la, Legal techniques, Environmental Law principles,

Abstract :

Considering the importance of the precautionary principle for development of international environmental law and taking into account that the "scientific uncertainty", is a problematic of the precautionary principle, this article tries to analyze the scientific uncertainties in the international environmental law’s context. In fact, one of the problems of implementing of the precautionary principle in the international environmental law the ambiguity on the issue of "scientific uncertainty" mentioned in many legal texts, both binding and non-binding. The purpose of this study is to describe the position and the role of scientific uncertainty in the realization of precautionary principle. This study explains the nature of legal gaps in the implementation of the precautionary principle in international environmental law. There are several legal methods and administrative procedures to dealing with the "scientific uncertainty", such as framework-protocol approach, scientific advisory boards, management approaches, prior informed consent, assessment and monitoring of environmental effects, temporary measures and so on. We can considerer these legal approaches and techniques       in many environmental treaties, especially after the Rio Declaration 1992. Moreover, in the case study, the legal instruments dealing for scientific uncertainty in precautionary principle from the perspective of International Environment in the Convention on Climate Change in 1992 is analyzed. In this research, after studying the methods and techniques for dealing with scientific uncertainty,     the suitable method to implement the precautionary principle in international environmental law has been analyzed. Due to legal problems for the implementation of the precautionary principle in international environmental law, still there is no consensus and common procedure for implementing these methods. However, this study suggests some solutions such as the practice of Governments, implementing the national system and development of environmental treaties based on the implementation of the precautionary principle.

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