The legal dimension of the Kunming-Montreal Framework in International Law

This paper examines the legal status of the
Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework within the struc-
ture and framework of international law. While its con-
sensus-based adoption by the Conference of the Parties
( COP ) might suggest straightforward classification, a closer
analysis highlights challenges stemming from the uncer-
tain international legal status of COP activities. Evaluating
three primary perspectives – namely considering COP ac-
tivities as treaties, equating them with international cus-
toms, or categorizing them as soft law – this note seeks to
clarify their standing, shaped by consensus. The note also
explores how this classification affects the interpretation
and application of the Framework within the framework
of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
( VCLT ).