The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released the Environmental Rule of Law (Environmental Rule of Law-First Global Report)，This is the first assessment of the state of the rule of law in the global environment。The report notes that over the past 40 years，This is despite the fact that global environmental law and related institutions are thriving，But the global trend of weak law enforcement exacerbates environmental threats。
The report details the since 1972 years，Countries have made encouraging progress in the area of environmental law，include 88 The right to a healthy environment has been enshrined in its constitution，Separately 65 The state has made clear provisions on environmental protection at the constitutional level。furthermore，50 A number of countries were formed 350 Multiple environmental courts and adjudication committees，60 A number of countries have made relevant provisions to protect citizens' right to environmental information。
self 1972 years，This is despite the fact that the number of environmental laws has grown worldwide 38 fold，Countries have made gratifying achievements at the legislative level of environmental law，But many laws are not really enforced。
This was stated by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David Boyd：The report explains why environmental law has flourished in recent decades，But pollution、Issues such as biodiversity loss and climate change remain enigmatic。If the rule of law in the environment is not strengthened，Even the strictest laws are doomed to failure，The basic human right to a healthy environment will not be realized。”
The report's authors analyze a variety of factors that contribute to poor enforcement，Including poor coordination between government agencies、Weak institutional capacity、Access to information is not available、corruption and limited citizen participation, among others。thereinto，Public participation is the key to the implementation of environmental laws、Enabling governments to make better decisions、An indispensable force for companies to take more responsible environmental action。Despite the vast majority of countries in the treaty、There are commitments in the constitution or laws to strengthen public participation，However, many countries have not taken the necessary steps to strengthen public participation，Ensuring people's right to know about the environment。
"The rule of law in the environment is a barometer of the health of government agencies，This can be measured through information transparency and public participation。Joyce Myusa, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment, wrote in the foreword to the report，"Through the publication of the first Global Environmental Rule of Law Report，We want to highlight the work of those who are on the right side of history – and how many countries have become stronger and safer as a result。”