UPThèses

Despite the crisis in the global economy, politics and social-environment between the developed countries and the developing countries, sustainable development law is a potential instrument that can manage to resolve disputes between countries of the North and countries of the South, and reconcile economic development with environmental matters. Consolidation of sustainable development law that was undertaken by the Stockholm Conference in 1972 and the Rio Conference in 1992 has also had an impact on social and environmental justice. Indeed, it promotes a double synergy between the protection of the environment, the economic development and State action. In this regards, the integrative function and the conciliatory function lead to the universal recognition and the affirmation of sustainable development law at international, national and regional level, especially within the international institutions and the legal corpus including economic and social rights (i.e. Human Rights). Numerous treaties, constitutional and legislative provisions have been integrating sustainable development. The recognition of sustainable development law represents a significant change to the current legal system guarantied by consistency, rationality, autonomy and structured in hierarchical layers. However, the emergence of sustainable development law and its recognition raised concern, questions and controversy about its legal prospect, sophisticated governance and structural limits due to the proliferation of sustainable development standards and the growing number of complex institutions. Besides, differing practices between States point to the need to consider whether there is a genuine joint will of both developed countries and developing countries to create a new paradigm which can reconcile environment protection with economic development. Thus raising the question whether sustainable development law is able to fulfil its function as a conciliator and to strike a balance between environmental, socio-economic issues to both developed and to developing countries. Furthermore, the affirmation of sustainable development law at the international, regional and national level requires relevant law implementing and enforcement strategies for respecting, protecting and ensuring full enjoyment of sustainable development law. It can help to address the issue of effectiveness and implementation. It also encourages wider participation of concerned public and private actors, NGO, decentralized authorities as well as of International Organization in the development of standards and its implementation and enforcement. Finally, the necessary legal, procedural and technical guarantees should be ensured in order to guarantee full compliance with sustainable development standards and to avoid a legitimacy crisis of sustainable development as well as a rupture of diplomatic relations.