NATRESACIL

Natural Resources and Armed Conflicts under International Law: Rationalizing a Heterogenous Legal Framework

Coordinatore	FONDATION POUR L'ETUDE DES RELATIONS INTERNATIONALES ET DU DEVELOPPEMENT    more  Organization address address: RUE DE LAUSANNE 132 city: GENEVE postcode: 1211 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Monique Cognome: Nendaz Email: send email Telefono: +41 22 9085724 Fax: +41 22 9085710
Nazionalità Coordinatore	Switzerland [CH]
Totale costo	173˙270 €
EC contributo	173˙270 €
Programma	FP7-PEOPLE Specific programme "People" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)
Code Call	FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
Funding Scheme	MC-IEF
Anno di inizio	2010
Periodo (anno-mese-giorno)	2010-11-01   -   2012-10-31

 Partecipanti

#	participant	country	role	EC contrib. [€]
1	FONDATION POUR L'ETUDE DES RELATIONS INTERNATIONALES ET DU DEVELOPPEMENT  Organization address address: RUE DE LAUSANNE 132 city: GENEVE postcode: 1211 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Monique Cognome: Nendaz Email: send email Telefono: +41 22 9085724 Fax: +41 22 9085710	CH (GENEVE)	coordinator	173˙270.80
2	INSTITUT DE HAUTES ETUDES INTERNATIONALES ET DU DEVELOPPEMENT  Organization address address: RUE DE LAUSANNE 132 city: GENEVE postcode: 1211 contact info Titolo: Ms. Nome: Monique Cognome: Nendaz Email: send email Telefono: +41 22 9085724 Fax: +41 22 9085710	CH (GENEVE)	participant	0.00

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The project aims to investigate the relationship between armed conflicts and natural resources under international law. The research begins from the assumption that the linkage between natural resources and armed conflicts is evident and multi-faceted in nature. It can be analyzed from four different perspectives. In their relationship with armed conflicts natural resources can be: a) A concomitant cause; b) An object of the destruction brought about by the hostilities; c) An object of the exploitative activities during the occupation phase; d) A factor inducing a change in the political and economic order of the (occupied) territories and the States. After having broached some preliminary issues concerning the definition of natural resources, the project will engage with the international rules and principles that are applicable to the phenomena described above. The analysis will consider the rules regulating access to natural resources in the pre-conflict phase; the rules protecting the resources pending the conflict; the rules regulating the exploitation, the ownership, and the legal regime of the resources during and after the occupation. Different bodies of rules such as the law on the use of armed force, the law of war and the law of occupation, international environmental law, international commercial law, human rights law and permanent sovereignty over natural resources will be investigated. The ultimate objective of the project is to identify the antinomies and understand the interaction between the relevant legal regimes. Another objective lies in applying a coherent set of interpretive and systemic tools with the aim of reducing fragmentation and inconsistencies. The research method will make reference to the sources of international law and to the practice of the relevant subjects. The Israeli-Palestinian question, Iraq, East Timor, the RDC, Sierra Leone, and Western Sahara are among the case studies.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

International laws regulating the link between natural resources and armed conflict have been addressed to create awareness of contradictions and reduce inconsistencies.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Natural resources and international conflict have long been linked. In recent years, this link is an issue at the forefront of society and consequently a main agenda of international organisations. One such organisation is the United Nations and its two main veins: The General Assembly and The Security Council.

Based on results of recent political debates revolving around international resource conflicts, the EU-funded NATRESACIL project aimed at a deeper understanding of the paradox of legal regimes. From this, the project developed a method to help reduce fragmentation and inconsistencies that are present despite the fact that resource conflicts seem like a unitary phenomenon. This diversity can influence behaviour of the entities participating in the conflict.

NATRESACIL found that wars of depredation are prohibited at the inter-state level by international law. Conflicts regarding natural resources are also prohibited.

Though land/boundary conflicts over natural resources are common, international law offers flexible means to approach such conflicts. In this light, states can negotiate the aim of their authority over natural resources through such options as joint development agreements. Another option is for legal entities to resolve disputes of territory or boundaries that are connected to natural resources.

When it comes to non-international resource conflicts, the rules are aimed at the position of third parties, not allowing them to finance conflict by acquiring natural resources. As such, one of the project's main results exhibits the possibility of a duty of vigilance for states on the activities of transnational corporations.

The project was successful in highlighting the main challenges for effective regulation of resource conflicts under international law. It also addressed the issue of double standards related to natural resources and armed conflicts. Findings will be of particular interest to academics as well as members of civil society and government practitioners.