Future Generations & International Law

Sustainable development requires consideration of the rights of future generations to meet their own needs, and as sustainability becomes more prominent on national and international political agendas, the status of future generations is receiving more attention. This is the first book to address the status of future generations under international law. In it, fifteen leading experts address the legal and theoretical frameworks for representing and safeguarding the interests of future generations in current international treaties. The issues are complex. How can we have moral or legal obligations to people who do not (yet) exist? If we accept these obligations, who should represent the interests of unborn generations? Should some form of 'guardian' be created to safeguard these interests and if so, what shape should it take, and to whom should it report? This unique volume examines an issue which goes to the heart of putting development onto a truly sustainable footing. It will be necessary reading for academics and students of international environmental law and policy.