One of the more vexatious issues in international environmental law is the question of the precise legal consequences that can be said to flow from the occurrence of significant transboundary environmental harm. Despite numerous relevant transboundaryenvironmental incidents, thereto related diplomatic claims and the occasional international judicial pronouncement, as well as pertinent treaty practice, trends in decision have only hinted at basic contours of, not provided a reliable basis for detailed or comprehensive answers to the question concerned. By the same token, although the matter had been on the international legislative agenda for decades, progress towards clarification or development of relevant rules of general international law had been disappointing, at least until recently. Now, with the work of the International Law Commission on the twin topics of prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and international liability for loss from such harm apparently completed, several key conceptual elements finally are falling into place.
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