다자간환경협정 당사국총회(COP)의 역할과 그 결정의 법적 성격

Today, it is widely understod that environmental problems are esentialy global issues. This recogniton has led to the spread of international legal documents aimed at preserving and protecting the environment, such as the Multilateral Environmental Agrement(MEA). Curently, Many MEAs have ben signed and operated in various fields to respond to global environmental problems. Most of MEAs regularly review the implementation of the relevant convention and have established an instiutional arangements for efective implementation, one of which is the Conference of Parties(COP). In other words, MEA, as the supreme body of the relevant convention, establishes a COP consiting of representatives of al States Parties in order to continue to operate the relevant convention. COP shall make, within its mandate, the decisions necesary to promote its effective implementation. As such, the COP adopts a number of decisions while making various activites for the efective implementation of the MEA. However, a debate has ben raised over the legal nature of this decision. The main issue of the MEA's COP-related debate is whether the COP decision is legaly binding. The roles and authorites of COPs vary widely. Some of the various roles and authorites are exercised through legaly binding decisions, while others are not. As such, it is imposible to say unequivocaly about the legal nature of the COP decision, that is, whether it is legaly binding. Therefore, this paper examines the legal nature of COP's decisions in MEA. Of course, the legal nature of COP decisons is deply related to the legal status and role of MEA-based COPs, so this paper wil first lok at this as well.