Ein Rohstoffvölkerrecht für das 21. Jahrhundert

The fair and sustainable distribution of natural resources worldwide is one of the most important tasks of mankind in the 21st century and, with its effects on life, the environment and technical progress, decides the fate of the continuously growing world population. The study examines the current international law on natural resources, consisting of the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources, WTO law, multilateral agreements as well as cartels such as OPEC, and comes to the conclusion that the current body of regulations is limited to – usually non-binding – organizational measures and consultations. International economic law follows a passive approach that does not do justice to the great relevance of this sub-area of international law. Against this background, six different legal solution strategies are developed and subsequently examined for their political feasibility. Special attention is paid to the position of developing countries, which despite their wealth of natural resources have not yet benefited from it.