Practice question
A State demands an interstate payment solely under a supposedly universal direct polluter-pays rule and cites paragraph 160 as affirmative authority. No treaty specification or other legal basis is established. Which is best?
- The cited paragraph does not support that direct-application claim
- The paragraph creates an automatic payment judgment
- Every environmental claim is proved by naming Rio
- No source inquiry is ever needed
- The requested amount becomes binding when announced
Legal references
- ICJ, Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, July 23, 2025, main advisory opinion: https://icj-web.leman.un-icc.cloud/sites/default/files/case-related/187/187-20250723-adv-01-00-en.pdf; paragraphs 159-160.
- Rio Declaration: https://www.cbd.int/doc/ref/rio-declaration.shtml; Principle 16.
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