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KYOTO TO HUE - FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE
31 March 2003
 IUCN has wasted no time in moving from the lofty debates on water policy at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto to putting policy into practice in Hue, Vietnam. On 27 March a Workshop was held on River Basin Organizations (RBOs) in Hue as a part of the IUCN VN WANI Huong Basin Integrated Management Project. The Workshop was held to discuss options for the establishment of an RBO for the Huong River Basin. The Workshop was chaired by Chairman Me, the Chairman of the Peoples Committee for the Thua Thien Hue Province, together with Mr Nguyen Minh Thong, IUCN Vietnam Country Representative. Following a week of meetings with local officials and experts, a detailed presentation on RBOs was made by John Scanlon, Head IUCN Environmental Law Programme, to facilitate consideration of possible options for the Huong River Basin.
A MILESTONE FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION
26 March 2003
 After a difficult 6-day "extraordinary session," the World Heritage Committee last week finally agreed on the 12th Revision of the Operational Guidelines for the management of sites listed under the World Heritage Convention. This decision brings an end to a grueling two-year multi-level negotiating process undertaken in response to a challenge of the existing Guidelines' provisions. This challenge originally focused on three key processes by which the Convention seeks to maintain its standards for listing World Heritage sites -- a type of "branding" that is recognised by tourists, donors, conservationists and scientists around the world. Those three processes are "reactive monitoring" (determining whether the site is being harmed or deteriorating), "in danger" listing (identifying sites which are threatened by outside forces, neglect or mismanagement, and for which extraordinary measures are needed to preserve its "outstanding universal value") and "de-listing" (removing the site's "World Heritage" status, because its "outstanding universal value" has been lost.) In essence, if the challenge had suceeded, these key processes could only have gone forward with the approval of the concerned State Party, meaning that the World Heritage "brand" would cease to be a dependable indicator of quality. IUCN is named in the World Heritage Convention as one of three "advisory bodies" to the Convention, and in that capacity played a key role in these negotiations. The IUCN delegation, headed by Pedro Rosabal Gonzales, included a legal officer from the ELC, and was further supported by critical research undertaken in 2002 by a team of CEL experts.
Find a copy of the IUCN Position Paper here.
IUCN IN WATER GOVERNANCE WRAP UP SESSION
21 March 2003
 IUCN has participated in the panel for the 'Wrap up Session' on two days of discussions on the 'Water and Governance' Theme convened by the Global Water Partnership. The Wrap up Session confirmed the vital importance of good water governance to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and to the 'on ground' implementation of integrated water resources management. The importance of sound and effective legal frameworks that protect the public interest and the need to build domestic capacity for the implementation of such frameworks was stressed by IUCN. John Scanlon, Head IUCN ELP said "the role of the law in clearly addressing equity, sustainability, transparency, participation and accountability issues becomes even more important as we witness a changing role of government in service delivery and resource management and the greater use of market based instruments." IUCN stressed the same message during a presentation delivered at the INBO - International Network of Basin Organizations session held on "Progress in Water Management at the Level of River Basins over the World".
Find copy of IUCN INBO paper here.
Find the Gobal Water Partnership (GWP) here.
Find copy of IUCN GWP Wrap up session speaking notes here.
IUCN ELC WELCOMES RESEARCH FELLOW FROM AIDMO
18 March 2003
 Zakaria El Brahmi, a Moroccan national working for the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO), is spending one month with IUCN ELC. This is part of an advanced professional training programme of InWEnt Capacity Building International. The objective is to acquaint participants with different instruments for environmentally-responsible management and to enable them to apply their new knowledge in their home countries. AIDMO is an organization whose aims are to achieve Arab industrial coordination and integration, to plan for the support of Arab industrial projects at the local, national and regional levels and to attract investments in the industrial and mining sectors. Zakaria has a diploma in international relationships and is keen to familiarise himself with international environmental law and, in particular, treaty law. His introduction to the subject at the ELC is facilitated by the availability of training materials prepared by or in cooperation with members of the Commission on Environmental Law, such as the UNITAR training courses.
Find AIDMO here
ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS ON THE KYOTO AGENDA
18 March 2003
 IUCN has convened an international panel at the 3rd World Water Forum to discuss the importance of environmental flows to healthy river systems, the relationship of environmental flows to integrated water resources management, and to review the draft IUCN Guide on making provision for environmental flows: 'Environmental Flows - The Essentials'. Chaired by Torkil Jonch Clausen (GWP), and including speakers and panelists from Australia (CCISR), Cambodia (MRC), Japan (Tokyo University), the Netherlands (WWF) and the USA (TNC), the session gave strong endorsement to the development of the Guide (to be released on 5 June 2003) and noted the vital role environmental flows play in attracting investment, achieving long term economic prosperity and the conservation of biological diversity. "Environmental flows work for people as much as for plants and animals" said John Scanlon, Head IUCN ELP.
Find full story on IUCN HQ website here
Find copy of the summary of 'Environmental Flows - The Essentials' here.
WATER AND THE LAW: IUCN RELEASES WATER LAW SERIES
17 March 2003
 IUCN has released the 'IUCN Water Law Series' to coincide with the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto. These brief issues papers have been prepared by the IUCN Environmental Law Centre to introduce the non-lawyer to the importance of the role of the law in integrated water resource management. The issues that have been addressed include Basin Management, Devolution of Authority, Adapting to Climate Change, Trading in Water, Defining Property Rights, Human Rights and Water and Effective Water Pollution Legislation. The series of papers reflect the strong focus of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme on water. The Programme is working closely with the IUCN Water and Nature Initiative and other partners on environmental flows, institutional and legislative frameworks, and applied governance. The Commission on Environmental Law established the Water and Wetlands Specialists Group in January 2002.
To obtain a copy of the IUCN Water Law Series click here.
AFRICAN OFFICIALS INITIATE DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON TBPAS FOR WORLD PARKS CONGRESS
14 March 2003
 More than forty officials and experts from member countries in the East African Community (and those engaged with them in transboundary negotiations relating to conservation) met last week in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, at the Mweka Wildlife College in Moshi, Tanzania to develop basic recommendations for Regional co-operation in the creation and implementation of TBPA's in the region. These recommendations will be also be showcased at the IUCN World Parks Congress, to be held in Durban on September 8-17, 2003. IUCN-ELC was a co-sponsor of the workshop with the IUCN-WCPA Task Force on TBPAs and the German Agency for International Development (INWENT.) This high-level meeting featured expert input on all levels, including detailed discussions of a variety of innovative approaches to addressing legal issues. One week before, IUCN-ELC participated in another conference, this one of global scope, sponsored by IUCN and the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO). Held in Uban Ratchathani, Thailand, this meeting addressed the special concerns of TBPAs in forest areas, with particular emphasis on community involvement issues. Field trips allowed the participants to learn more about the role of community forest participation in a transboundary forest area spanning Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
For more information about other seminars and workshops in the INWENT series click here.
For information on the ITTO/IUCN workshop click here.
NEW IUCN GMO PORTAL GOES LIVE TODAY
11 March 2003
 IUCN's Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Portal launched today on the internet aims to facilitate feedback on a draft IUCN paper on biosafety and GMOs. The IUCN Council originally requested IUCN Members to comment on the paper which is entitled "Biosafety and Genetically Modified Organisms: Background for the Enunciation of an IUCN Position and Plan of Action" and is the first step in the process of complying with the mandate of Resolution 2.31 of the Second World Conservation Congress - the highest governing body of IUCN. Resolution 2.31 requires the Director General to "propose options for an IUCN contribution" on GMOs. Members of the IUCN family with an interest in the subject area are invited to join forum discussions andprovide feedback on the paper until April 11, 2003. The Portal is accessible to IUCN Members, Commission Members, and staff, on www.iucn.org/portal/elc.
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