Acknowledgements

• Author: Maria Antonia Tigre
• Pages: 9-10

ix

Acknowledgements

To N ick ,

May we bring your generation not only hope

But also answers.

is book was written during the hot summer of 2019 in New York City,

as the Open-Ended Working Group met behind closed doors at the United

Nations to decide on the future of the Global Pact for the Environment.

Following the negotiations that unfolded, the idea of this book adva nced

based on one goal: to make a record of the steps toward a Global Pact and

contribute to the negotiations moving forward. e process so far was far

from linear, and supporters of the Global Pact were often discouraged, th ink-

ing the proposal would die o along tireless debates on the need for a new

framework agreement on environmental principles. However, thanks to the

commitment of the co-chairs of the working group, Francisco Duarte Lopes

and Amal Mudal lali, the initiative took yet another step towards becoming a

reality. e recent resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 2019 calls

for a political declaration to be adopted by 2022, at the 50th anniversa ry of

the Stockholm Declaration and the 30t h anniversary of the Rio Declaration.

Several people were essential in making sure this book was written and

published timely as a companion for the next steps in the negotiation of a

Global Pact. First and foremost, I am grateful to Prof. Nicholas Robinson,

who supported me in every step of this process. As my thesis supervisor,

he not only helped me choose the topic of my dissertation but advised me

every step of the way, making sure my research wa s current and useful to

other scholars, diplomats, and policymakers. His support was also essentia l

in getting this re search published by ELI Press. I am grateful to ELI Press for

agreeing to publish this book in such a sma ll timeframe. It was fortunate that

the publication was also done in time to commemorate its 50th anniversa ry,

and it is truly an honor to be a small par t of the great work ELI has done over

the past decades. In par ticular, I thank Scott Fulton, Jay Pendergrass, and

Rachel Jean-Baptiste. I would also li ke to thank the International Council on

Environmental Law (ICEL), represented by Victor Tafur and Prof. Nicholas

Robinson, for publishing this book jointly with ELI and for its commitment

to this idea.