For news about IUCN's involvement with the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) click here.
Pre WSSD 'Law Week' a Great Success
The week before the WSSD in Johannesburg became known as 'Law Week', with three major international conferences being held, namely the:
1. United Nations Environment Programme, Global Judges Symposium on Sustainable Development and the Role of Law (Johannesburg, 18 to 20 August 2002);
2. IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL), World Summit 2002: Environmental Law Foundations for Sustainable Development (University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 20 to 22 August 2002); and
3. EnviroLaw Solutions, Law and Governance for a Sustainable World (Durban, 22 to 25 August 2002)
The 'Law Week' also included the launch of the world's first 'Judicial Portal', see below.
IUCN was either convenor or co-sponsor of each event and the outcomes of each conference were addressed at the IUCN Environment Centre in Johannesburg on 27 August during the 'Futures Dialogue' session titled: 'Sustainable Development: What's Law Got To Do With It?' . The consensus from this session was that there was a clear need to focus our collective efforts on implementation and on the need for a major commitment to, and investment in, capacity building.
The outcomes of each of the conferences can be found below:
1. UNEP: Global Judges Symposium
For a copy of The Johannesburg Principles on the Role of Law and Sustainable Development click here
UNEP: Follow Up Meeting on Global Judges Symposium
From 30-31 January twenty six Chief Justices and senior judges from around the world met at UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi to follow up on the outcomes of the UNEP Global Judges Symposium. The meeting also considered the outcomes from previous judicial symposia, including the recent regional meetings held in London (for Western Europe) and Kuwait (for the Arab Region), both of which were either sponsored or co-sponsored by IUCN and UNEP. At the invitation of the Chief Justice, several observers, including IUCN, attended the meeting and were invited to directly share their views with the judges on the best way forward. Chief Justice Chaskalson reported on the outcomes of the meeting to the Civil Society Forum and the Plenary Session of the Governing Council of UNEP on 2 and 3 February respectively and copies of his reports will be made available when they are publicly released. IUCN was represented at the Nairobi meeting by the Chair of CEL and the Head of the ELP, and the CEL Regional Vice Chair for Eastern Europe was also in attendance.
2. IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL), World Summit 2002: Environmental Law Foundations for Sustainable Development
For a copy of the World Summit 2002: Summary Paper click here. Papers presented at the conference will be published in full in the South African Environmental Law and Policy Journal.
For a copy of the programme, click here
3. EnviroLaw Solutions: Law and Governance for a Sustainable World
For a copy of the Durban statement: EnviroLaw 2002 Recommendations click here.
 LATEST NEWS |
World's first Judicial Portal Launched
19 August 2002
The world's first Internet based means for judges from around the world to communicate with one another, and to share environmental law judgements and information, has been launched by Justice Paul Stein AM at the UNEP Global Judges Symposium, Johannesburg, South Africa on 19 August. The Judicial Portal has been created to progress the collective efforts of UNEP and IUCN to help create a global network of judges. Justice Stein praised the efforts of IUCN ELC in developing the Portal and together with Dr Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Executive Director, commended the collaborative efforts of UNEP and IUCN to help create a global network of judges. "The Portal will enable judges from around the world to exchange information on environmental law relevant to their decision making and will create an up to date global data bank of environmental law cases available to all judges" said Justice Stein.
European Judges commend IUCN/UNEP Judicial Portal
14 October 2002
Judges from across Europe, meeting with judges and scholars from across the globe at the European Judicial Symposium, (see story above) have commended the development of the IUCN/UNEP Judicial Portal. Following a presentation of the Judicial Portal, which was officially launched by the Hon Justice Paul Stein AM at the UNEP Global Judges Symposium held In Johannesburg in August, the European Judicial Symposium agreed to: "Commend the development of the IUCN/UNEP Judicial Portal by the IUCN Environmental Law Centre as an innovative and effective means to facilitate communication on environmental law amongst judges, and in particular the sharing of judgements, and to encourage judges from across Europe to participate actively in the Portal." In his opening remarks, Lord Chief Justice Woolf expressed his delight at the development of the Portal, which he said will help judges communicate across different jurisdictions and show how the law can evolve in a helpful and constructive way.
IUCN/UNEP Judicial Portal wins Judges support
6 February 2003
Following two days of meetings in Nairobi twenty six Chief Justices and senior judges from around the world have expressed their support for the IUCN UNEP Judicial Portal as a means of facilitating the exchange of environmental law judgements and information amongst judges. During his presentation on the outcomes of the Nairobi meeting to the Plenary Session of the UNEP Governing Council the Honourable Chief Justice of South Africa, Arthur Chaskalson, took the opportunity to specifically inform the Council of the judges support for the use and further development of the Portal. The Judicial Portal was designed by the IUCN ELC with the assistance of Justice Paul Stein AM as part of a joint initiative with UNEP. The Portal was launched during the UNEP Global Judges Symposium held last year and it is the world's first Internet based means for judges from around the world to communicate with one another and to share environmental law judgements and information.
For a copy of the Judicial Portal Fact Sheet and Application Sheet click here.
Principal author: John Scanlon and Maria Socorro Manguiat. Last updated: 21 June 2003
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