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Negotiating Environmental Agreements (LAWS90114)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Not available in 2022
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
Overview
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This subject provides an in-depth examination of negotiated instruments as a means of addressing international environmental problems. It focuses on legally binding agreements between states - that is, treaties - but also explores other types of negotiated instruments such as declarations and codes of conduct, which may be non-binding or involve non-state actors. The subject analyses issues of treaty negotiation and design by comparing the development of different environmental agreements, including the Montreal Ozone Protocol, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), and the World Heritage Convention. At the end of the subject, students will apply what they have learned in a mock negotiation.
This subject will focus on the functions of international environmental agreements, how they are negotiated and designed, and how they develop and evolve over time. Subject materials will include case studies of particular environmental negotiations and international relations explanations of environmental negotiations, including treaty design choices.
Principal topics include:
- Why do states negotiate environmental agreements? (costs and benefits, normative factors, domestic politics)
- Categorising agreements: legal/non-legal, constitutive/regulatory, global/regional
- Pre-negotiations: determining the negotiating forum and mandate
- Negotiating process: actors (coalitions/groups, chairperson, secretariat, NGOs), decision-making rules, organisation (inter-sessional meetings, open and closed sessions, means of resolving 'crunch' issues), adoption
- Treaty design: legal form; architecture; breadth; depth, types, and differentiation of obligations; institutions; mechanisms to promote participation, compliance, and flexibility; entry-into-force requirements
- Drafting techniques and, ways of resolving differences
- Treaty development: protocols, amendment, decisions of parties, interpretation
- International relations explanations.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who has successfully completed this subject will:
- Have an advanced and integrated understanding of international environmental treaty law
- Be able to critically examine, analyse, interpret and assess international environmental agreements
- Have a sophisticated understanding of treaty design and treaty drafting issues
- Understand and be able to apply techniques to resolve differences in international environmental negotiations
- Gain experience in making oral presentations and negotiating agreements.
Last updated: 24 January 2023
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Applicants without legal qualifications should note that subjects are offered in the discipline of law at an advanced graduate level. While every effort will be made to meet the needs of students trained in other fields, concessions will not be made in the general level of instruction or assessment. Most subjects assume the knowledge usually acquired in a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent). Applicants should note that admission to some subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters will be dependent upon the individual applicant’s educational background and professional experience.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 24 January 2023
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Class participation | Throughout the teaching period | 15% |
Written country position paper/negotiation strategy for negotiation simulation | Instructions distributed 2 weeks before course begins; due the last day of class | 15% |
Take-home examination
| 7 - 10 August | 70% |
| Hurdle requirement: A minimum of 75% attendance | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Last updated: 24 January 2023
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
Not available in 2022
Additional delivery details
This subject has a quota of 30 students.
Enrolment is on a first come, first served basis. Waitlists are maintained for subjects that are fully subscribed.
Students should note priority of places in subjects will be given as follows:
- To currently enrolled Graduate Diploma and Masters students with a satisfactory record in their degree
- To other students enrolling on a single subject basis, eg Community Access Program (CAP) students, cross-institutional study and cross-faculty study.
Please refer to the Melbourne Law Masters website for further information about the management of subject quotas and waitlists.
Last updated: 24 January 2023
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Specialist printed materials will be made available free of charge from Melbourne Law School prior to the pre-teaching period.
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 24 January 2023