ABSTRACT
With the globalization of the economy and the transboundary nature of many environmental problems, the issue of how best to design global environmental governance systems has taken centre-stage-and the debate on a world environment organization represented in this volume is just one part of the larger discussion.1 Of course, the word 'design' suggests that some theorist in his/her ivory tower can craft a system that will work most effectively. This would ignore the fact that global systems are the result of protracted and complex negotiations, and that design issues may influence the process in the sense that those negotiating may take these aspects into account, but at the same time, they will negotiate on the basis of their 'national' interests in relation to the specific problem.
