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Vth IUCN WORLD PARKS CONGRESS A HUGE SUCCESS
22 September 2003
 The Vth IUCN World Parks Congress, held in Durban, South Africa from 8-17 September has been hailed a great success. The Congress, 'Benefits Beyond Boundaries', succeeded in addressing protected areas and biodiversity conservation in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and sustainable development more generally. On the final day, Congress participants adopted by acclamation the Durban Accord and the Message to the CBD CoP 7, and noted and acknowledged the Durban Plan of Action and the Recommendations adopted through the various Workshop Streams. Copies are available in the three Congress languages on the IUCN WPC website. IUCN ELP contributed to both the substance and the smooth running of the event, with substantive contributions being made on International environmental agreements (global and regional), globalisation and decentralisation, high seas, financial instruments, mining and protected areas, and the Africa Convention. IUCN ELP also led the Secretariat input into the Governance Workshop Stream.
For more information on the IUCN ELP at the WPC click here and for more information on the WPC generally click here.
A WATER LAW CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA
15 September 2003
 The IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) has used the occasion of the Vth IUCN World Parks Congress being held in Durban, South Africa, to announce the first CEL regional 'centre of excellence' in Africa. The Mandela Institute, School of Law, University of Witwatersrand, is being specifically recognised by CEL as a 'centre of excellence' in water law, a first for CEL. Commencing in 2004 the centre will be hosting certificate and Masters level courses in water law, designed for African lawyers and non lawyers. In announcing the 'centre of excellence' Professor Robinson praised the University for undertaking this initiative, which now joins a network of CEL recognised centres from across the globe. Professor Robyn Stein expressed great thanks to IUCN for all of its support and described the centre as representing a major capacity building initiative for Southern Africa. The centre will be officially launched at the University in November this year. The establishment of the centre has obtained strong support and endorsement from the South African Minister of Water Resources and Forestry, Ronnie Kasrils MP and the Food and Agriculture Organisation - Legal Office.
To find out more about CEL 'centres of excellence' click here.
CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ENTERS INTO FORCE
11 September 2003
 The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety enters into force today, 90 days after the ratification of Palau on June 13, 2003. The Protocol was adopted in January 2000 in Montreal, at an extraordinary COP of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It sets out the first comprehensive global regulatory system of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Its aims are to ensure the safe transfer, handling and use of GMOs, with a specific focus on transboundary movements. The Protocol deals primarily with GMOs which are to be intentionally introduced into the environment (such as seeds, trees or fish) and with genetically modified agricultural commodities (such as corn and grain used for food, animal feed, or processing). IUCN Environmental Law Centre, Bonn in partnership with FIELD, has produced an Explanatory Guide to the Biosafety Protocol, which was released in English on May 22, 2003. The French version of the Guide is being released in electronic form on the occasion of the entry into force of the Protocol. The French version has been made possible by contribution from the French, Swiss and Canadian Governments. A Russian version will be available soon, and will be followed by the publication of the Guide in Spanish before the end of the year.
Full Story. Guide to the Cartagena Protocol English/French.
THE ECOSYSTEM APPROACH TO DRYLAND MANAGEMENT: INTEGRATING BIODIVERSITY AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY
10 September 2003
 With a session of the Global Biodiversity Forum and the launching of two IUCN publications, the Union further promoted the application of the ecosystem approach at Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in La Habana, Cuba. IUCN Environmental Law Centre represented by Ms Tomme Young and Dr Alejandro Iza, provided technical legal support to the IUCN delegation. Dr Iza highlighted the necessity to adopt new or strengthen existing legal frameworks in areas such as water resources, soil degradation and land uses. IUCN renewed its intention to contribute as a strategic partner to the implementation of the UNCCD.
View the IUCN statement to the COP here.
DRAFT IUCN ELP COMPONENT PROGRAMME PLAN RELEASED FOR COMMENT
5 September 2003
 Every three to four years the IUCN Membership comes together at the IUCN World Conservation Congress to, amongst many other matters, approve the next IUCN Intersessional Programme. IUCN is currently developing a draft Programme to present to the membership, and each component programme is doing likewise. This process involves the active engagement of IUCN Members and Commissions. In late August a joint planning team, comprising IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) members, representatives of IUCN Members and staff of the IUCN Environmental Law Centre, met in Bonn to develop a draft IUCN Environmental Law Programme (ELP) Component Programme Plan to put out for consultation (see full story below). Component plans must comply with Guidelines that have been issued by IUCN, and comments should therefore take into account this framework. The ELP would welcome comments on the draft ELP Component Plan by Friday 17 October 2003. Please address your comments to Jil Self at jself@elc.iucn.org with the subject header 'ELP Plan Comments'. All comments will be considered by the ELP Planning Team at the CEL Steering Committee meeting to be held in Shanghai, China in the first week of November.
Draft ELP Plan, Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3, Appendix 4, Appendix 5
IUCN draft Global Situation Analysis
IUCN draft Programme
IUCN Planning Guidelines
LAW AND INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
2 September 2003
 IUCN's Environmental Law Programme and FAO's Legal Office have joined forces to present a series of lectures on 'Law, Ethics and Politics' at the 'Integrated Water Resources Management' (IWRM) course being conducted this week by the Swiss Centre of Hydrogeology, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. The course, which has attracted high level participants from across the globe, addresses applied IWRM from environmental, economic and social perspectives. It also analyzes how implementing IWRM can help attain the Millennium Development Goals relating to water and sanitation. FAO introduced participants to key principles of International and national water law. IUCN then presented an overview of how 'environmental flows' are being tackled in the Murray Darling Basin, Australia and a case study on river basin organizations. Participants were also given a copy of IUCN's groundbreaking publication 'Flow: the essentials of environmental flows'.
Find University of Neuchatel here. Programme.
Murray Darling Basin Initiative: Overview, Environmental Flows, Trade in Water.
Download a free copy of 'Flow: the essentials of environmental flows' here (1,374KB).
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