ABSTRACT
A pre-eminent role is effectively given to states under general tenets of international law in overseeing the development and implementation of international rules of law. Most states maintain a clear and firm preference to maintain, as far as possible, exclusive sovereign control in respect of anthropogenic activities carried out within their respective individual territories. As a consequence, the enforcement of international environmental protection obligations has been largely dependent upon the effectiveness of national rules of law and statal administrative resources and systems in order to oversee their proper application. The development of the compliance control systems has been a gradual, patchy and generally hard-fought affair in the context of international negotiations over multilateral environmental agreement building with genuinely global dimensions. However, it would be incorrect to dismiss or ignore the actual and potential influence that international legal principles and procedures may bring to bear on states to respect their basic duty to adhere to international environmental obligations.
