The International Court of Justice’s Judgement of 20 April 2010 in the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) case

Sandrine Maljean-Dubois (1) , Vanessa Richard (2)

1 DICE - Droits International, Comparé et Européen
2 DICE / CERIC - Droits International, Comparé et Européen / Centre d'études et de recherches internationales et communautaires (CERIC)

Despite some important contributions and clarifications, particularly on the obligation of due diligence and environmental impact assessments, the judgment of 20 April 2010 does not live up to expectations. The International Court of Justice globally upholds a restrictive interpretation of the obligations to prevent environmental harm in a transboundary context. Its reasoning relies on an artificial distinction between procedural and substantive obligations, which prevents awarding any form of compensation other than satisfaction. Beyond the statements in favour of sustainable development, this case symbolises the international judge’s difficulty to find the right balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Mots clés: settlement of disputes; international law; pulp mills; international environmental law; Latin American; International Court of Justice

Domaines: Droit; Etudes de l'environnement

Sandrine Maljean-Dubois, Vanessa Richard. The International Court of Justice’s Judgement of 20 April 2010 in the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) case . Paula Almeida et Jean-Marc Sorel. Latin America and the International Court of Justice, Routledge, 2017, 9781138858572. ⟨halshs-01416769⟩