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IUCN ELP COLLABORATION WITH US MEMBERS AND PARTNERS
27 February 2004
 The Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) Regional Vice Chair for North America, J. William Futrell organised a reception for IUCN and CEL members in Washington DC to meet with the Head of the Environmental Law Programme. He was recently in the US, with the Executive Director of the IUCN US Office, to progress collaborative endeavours with US members and partners in working with the judiciary, and on areas including compliance and enforcement, energy, marine and forestry issues. The visit also included meetings with the CEL Chair, Professor Robinson, and members in New York at the Centre for Environmental Legal Studies, Pace University, an IUCN Member. IUCN has many institutional members from US government agencies and non government organisations, and there are also close to 150 members of the Commission on Environmental Law from the US.
For more information on IUCN Members click here and on CEL Members click here.
SPECIALIST GROUP ON THE JUDICIARY ON THE MOVE
26 Februay 2004
 The IUCN Commission on Environmental Law Specialist Group on the Judiciary met from 15 to 18 February at Pace University School of Law in White Plains, New York. High on the agenda were discussions as to the preferred composition of the Group and its terms of reference. Among the many topics discussed was the planning for the North American Regional Judges Conference on Environmental Law scheduled for late November/early December 2004 in New York. Also planned were proposals for an environmental law forum on 17 November 2004 during the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in Bangkok. The forum will include a wide range of speakers, including many judges from around the world. The intention is to draw wide attention to the crucial role of the judiciary in the field of environmental law and the need for national States to support judicial capacity building programmes, judicial independence and integrity.
Full story to be included in next IUCN ELP Newsletter, May 2004.
Se lanza la edición en español de la Guía Explicativa del Protocolo de Cartagena
25 February 2004
 La edición en español de la Guía Explicativa del Protocolo de Cartagena es lanzada hoy en la primera reunión de las Partes del Protocolo en Kuala Lumpur. El Protocolo, que entró en vigor en septiembre de 2003, es uno de los mas importantes tratados internacionales recientemente adoptados. El mismo señala el compromiso de la comunidad ínternacional para asegurar la transferencia, manejo y uso seguro de los organismos vivos modificados. La Guía procura convertir al Protocolo en un instrumento de facil acceso y ha demostrado ser una referencia de utilidad para aquellos involucrados en su implementacion. Esta publicacion es el fruto del trabajo del Centro de Derecho Ambiental de la UICN y FIELD, en colaboracion con el World Resources Institute. El libro se encuentra disponible en la serie de derecho y politica ambiental de la UICN. Las versiones en inglés, francés y ruso fueron ya presentadas este año.
English Version
For more information on the first Meeting of the Parties click here
Explanatory Guide to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Download complete text:
English ( 1,78 MB)
French ( 1,88 MB)
Spanish ( 5,57 MB)
Russian ( 8,07 MB)
NEW PROGRAMME ON TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
16 February 2004
 More than 2500 delegates from over 150 countries began deliberations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) last week, to address several of key themes ranging from mountains to oceans, and from tourism to target-setting. In the middle of these discussions one of the two "priority issues" in the meeting is "technology transfer." Since the mid-1980s, the need for transfer of technology for environmental protection, conservation and sustainable use has been formally recognized in the United Nations, but the current work in the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP) is the first time the issue has been addressed as an overarching priority. In looking to improve the way that countries provide and receive various kinds of hard and soft technology, the COP is clearing the way for a programme of work that can have far-reaching implications in virtually all issues, biomes, and activity areas in which the CBD operates.
Full story
For more on the CBD click here.
CAUDALES AMBIENTALES EN MOVIMIENTO
12 Febrero
 Unos 60 funcionarios de entidades del estado y organismos no gubernamentales se reunieron en San José, Costa Rica para analizar los diferentes aspectos concernientes al tema de “caudales ecológicos”. Esta actividad, que contó con la presencia de invitados extranjeros, fue organizado por la Iniciativa del Agua y Naturaleza para Mesoamérica, en el marco de su proyecto sobre caudales ambientales. El Dr. Alejandro Iza, del Centro de Derecho Ambiental, se refirió a los aspectos normativos de la regulación de los caudales ambientales y a las diferentes alternativas para su regulación legal. La Conferencia fue seguida por un taller donde ser trataron en detalle los aspectos legales, hidrológicos y socieconómicos, del cual surgieron importantes recomendaciones para la acción futura.
English Version
THE ABS PROJECT TO BE SHOWCASED AT CBD COP
11 February 2004
 The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation commits states to negotiate, within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and bearing in mind the Bonn Guidelines, "an international regime to promote and safeguard the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources". The ABS Project aims to provide factual and documented information about efforts taken to date, and the factors that have slowed and stopped progress. Findings made through the Project will be featured at a side event on 'Legal and Practical Issues in the Development, Negotiation and Implementation of an ABS Regime', to be held today during the CBD 7th Conference of the Parties, Kuala Lumpur.
Full story on side event
For more information on the ABS Project click here.
For more information on the CBD click here.
IUCN ELP AND FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL MEET IN BONN
5 February 2004
 IUCN Environmental Law Programme and the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) have met in Bonn to discuss areas of mutual interest between the FSC and the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL). Discussions centred around the role the CEL Indigenous Peoples and Environmental Law Specialist Group can play in providing independent expert advice on policies, systems and procedures regarding Local Communities and Indigenous peoples in forest certification. The meetings brought together senior representatives of the FSC, CEL and the IUCN Environmental Law Centre. The Deputy Chair of CEL, Professor Michael Jeffrey QC described the meetings as being most constructive and having set a very positive tone for input into areas of mutual interest.
For more on the FSC click here.
For more on IUCN CEL Specialist Groups click here.
COUNTDOWN 2010 - HALTING BIODIVERSITY LOSS ACROSS EUROPE
4 February 2004
 The goal of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 is the subject of several key international agreements. Amongst others, EU Heads of State committed themselves to this goal at the Gothenburg summit in 2001, and in the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development. The 'Countdown to 2010' initiative has a focus on commitments made at pan-European level by Environment Ministers at the 5th Environment for Europe Conference in May 2003 in Kiev. IUCN, given its unique scale, structure and affiliation, is in a position to play a leading role in generating impetus to meet this agreed goal. At the invitation of the IUCN Regional Office for Europe, the Head of Communications and Head of the Environmental Law Programme assisted the initiative take shape at the first meeting of the steering group held in Brussels on 2 February.
For more information on Countdown 2010 click here.
For more information on IUCN in Europe click here.
News January 2004 >
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