The past decades have shown an increase in recourse to international legal bodies to address disputes over land distribution, uses and rehabilitation. This raises the question as to whether and to... Show moreThe past decades have shown an increase in recourse to international legal bodies to address disputes over land distribution, uses and rehabilitation. This raises the question as to whether and to what extent international law offers a coherent framework for addressing land as part of environmental peacebuilding. Since land issues have played a role in most armed conflicts that occurred over the past decades, addressing such issues in peace processes is essential for the resolution of these conflicts and for maintaining the peace that has been so hard won. This chapter therefore first examines how international law impacts on decisions with respect to land uses, distribution and rehabilitation in peace processes. This chapter then explores whether and how the notion of environmental peacebuilding can be instrumental in mainstreaming international legal responses for the purpose of achieving a sustainable peace. Show less
This chapter examines the position of the UN Security Council within the institutional framework on environmental peacebuilding. It starts with an analysis of the UN's peacebuilding architecture,... Show moreThis chapter examines the position of the UN Security Council within the institutional framework on environmental peacebuilding. It starts with an analysis of the UN's peacebuilding architecture, which assigns complementary roles to the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, based on each organ's respective function within the UN system. The chapter then turns to the practice of the Security Council with respect to 'conflict resources' on the one hand and environmental degradation more broadly on the other. This analysis demonstrates major differences in the substantive contributions by the Security Council with respect to 'conflict resources' on the one hand and to climate change and other ecological threats on the other. It argues that the institutional division of responsibilities between the three main UN organs provides a powerful rationale for explaining these differences. Show less
Environmental factors increasingly define today’s global security landscape. In recognition of the role that environmental factors play in triggering, fueling and sustaining armed conflicts at the... Show moreEnvironmental factors increasingly define today’s global security landscape. In recognition of the role that environmental factors play in triggering, fueling and sustaining armed conflicts at the local, regional and even global level, environmental peacebuilding has emerged as a new field of research and practice. This chapter introduces the reader to the growing scholarship in this field and discusses the contributions that international normative and institutional frameworks make to it. In this way, it sets the scene for more detailed discussions on the role of these normative and institutional frameworks in the other chapters in the book. It concludes with an appraisal of the contributions that the book makes to existing scholarship and identifies future areas for research. Show less
