Tímarit lögfræðinga - 01.12.1989, Blaðsíða 4

Dr. Jens Evensen
dómari við Alþjóðadómstólinn í Haag:
THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
IN THE MODERN LAW OF NATIONS
I
1. Allow me at the outset to express my gratitude to the University
of Reykjavík for the great honour that has been bestowed upon me in
inviting me to lecture at your distinguished centre of learning.
It has been a great pleasure for me to make the acquaintance of
your outstanding group of legal scholars and to see again my long-
time and close friend and colleague in bilateral negotiations between
Iceland and Noi-way and our successful cooperation in the U.N. Law
of the Sea Conference, Dr. Gunnar Schram.
But I am especially honoured that you, Madame President, have found
the time to attend my humble lecture.
2. The topic “the protection of the environment” is one of the most
pressing problems with which our modern civilization is faced. The
murky backside of our “glorious” civilization, namely the ever increas-
ing polluting effects of human activities, the ruthless exhaustion of
non-renewable resources; and the continuous armaments race with
the development of the most horrendous weapons of mass destruction
imaginable, with its serious repercussions for the survivability of
Mother Earth and her various lifeforms.
3. The protection of the environment is of basic importance for present
and future generations. It is my firm conviction that we do not have
to accept this present dance macabre. We are not left helpless in a legal
vacuum. On the contrary. The increasing pollution of our environment
— be it on land, at sea, in the air and in our atmosphere including
outer space — not only infringes upon the principles of the United
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