Mr. Chairman,
I have been given the honour to speak on behalf of the five Nordic countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway, on the prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and on the allocation of loss arising out of such activities.
First of all, we would once again like to congratulate the Commission on its work and the finalization of the two interrelated topics.
Mr. Chairman,
The articles on prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and the principles on allocation of loss in the case of transboundary harm arising out of hazardous activities are important accomplishments in the development of international law in relation to prevention and civil liability reiterating important principles such as the polluter pays principle.
The work of the Commission provides an important supplement to the responsibility of States, but they do not in any way replace or reduce the responsibility of the State under applicable international law.
A number of multilateral legal instruments, including multilateral environmental agreements, have provisions that envisage the establishment of further rules on prevention and liability. The articles and principles provide for a minimum standard that should be duly taken into account when developing such rules.
Moreover, the articles and principles also provide valuable guidance outside it specific subject matter related to hazardous activities. It should be noted that when transboundary harm is identified, that is in itself an indication that the activities have been hazardous.
The effective implementation of the principles warrants detailed rules and regulations, both nationally and internationally. Thus, further cooperation between States in various fora is necessary and should be encouraged.
Mr. Chairman,
In closing, I would like to reiterate our appreciation for the Commission's work on these issues and fully support the adoption and speedily implementation of the two sets of minimum principles.