This article reviews and reflects on the contribution of the United Nations (UN) to the development of international environmental law. The central role of the UN is foregrounded in first establishing the field as a branch of international law, and subsequently in placing protection of the environment among global priorities. The UN has been and continues to be a key forum for the emergence of sectoral legal norms, for their implementation, enforcement, and coordination, and for dispute resolution. Functional areas under the influence of the UN are outlined, and attention is also drawn to transnational initiatives and new forms of law that are deliberately developing beyond the UN. The paper concludes with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of the UN, and some proposals for the organization's role in the context of the growing significance of non-governmental actors and the decline of global initiatives.
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