War operations and the environment

Manipulated by man for military purposes or victims of the effects of war, the environment is always the casualty of armed conflict, with serious pollution and damage to flora and fauna resources, even in protected areas. To prevent or combat such damage, international society has not failed to define environmental protection standards when establishing the rules that must govern armed conflicts. As with any other rule of law, it is mandatory for States to comply with international legal provisions relating to the protection of the environment in wartime. If they fail to do so, they must be held internationally responsible for restoring the situation and preventing any recurrence of such violations. To this end, efforts to remove several obstacles to the implementation of the international responsibility of States must continue and be crowned by the establishment of a global court for the environment similar to the International Criminal Court.