Documents in International Environmental Law is the companion volume to the second edition of Philippe Sands' Principles of International Environmental Law. It comprises a representative (and non-exhaustive) selection of international environmental treaties and documents which are essential for anyone interested in international law in the field of environmental protection.

This volume builds on the two volumes “Documents in international law” published byManchesterUniversity Press in 1994 and edited by Philippe Sands, Richard Tarasofsky andMaryWeiss. Since 1994 several important new treaties have been adopted, and several existing treaties have been amended. This volume represents an up-to-date collection of the most important such documents and like its predecessor aims to make easily accessible to students, academics and practitioners the text and the key information on the legal status of the various acts, including its parties, where a treaty is concerned. At a time when almost all the documents here published are accessible on the web, we nevertheless consider that advantages may be obtained in reproducing them in a single volume. Books can followus around. Over timewe can highlight key provisions, insert notes, and compare texts wherever we are and as much as we like.

Each document is presented according to the same format. It is introduced with a short Editorial Note, which summarises the main provisions of the instrument and places it in its wider context. Editorial notes are followed by information on the date of adoption/signature of the document, its entry into force and a list of the parties (if a treaty).