Implementation of legal mechanisms of environmental protection by the South Pacific regional organizations

Abstract

Objective of the article is to present a multitude of the South Pacific regional organizations, whose one of the most vital issue is to implement legal mechanisms of environmental protection. As the Pacific countries and territories are the most affected by the climate change effects, the goal of the politicians, diplomats, representatives of private sector and civil society organizations is to protect their islands. The islanders have been trying to achieve that through multilateral gathering, seminars and other so-called soft law instruments, but also, recently, through hard law mechanism, which can be de iure executed. There are however many obstacles which come from both structural and social barriers of the South Pacific nations. The methodology, which has been used to write this article, is the legal analysis of the documents made on both national and transnational lever, mainly by the regional intergovernmental organizations, as well as non-binding communiqués after summits and further political declarations. The value author wishes to bring is first of all publicising the Pacific region, as it is not anymore isolated or dependent on the bigger global actors. Secondly, environmental protection made by the grass roots initiatives, being de facto the regional organizations, can shed new light on this matter. Conclusion shall, nonetheless, present still a long way before the South Pacific microstates on their way to achieving both better regional cooperation, as well as mechanisms of more effective implementation of the regional norms.