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DIPLOMADO EN DERECHO AMBIENTAL
28 July
 El primer ciclo del Diplomado de Derecho Ambiental concluyó con una sesión de de dos días sobre Regulación Internacional del Agua y Responsabilidad de los Estados en los Cursos de Agua Transfronterizos. El seminario, que tuvo una orientación eminentemente práctica, fue dictado por el Dr. Alejandro Iza, legal officer del Centro de Derecho Ambiental de la UICN. El Diplomado es una iniciativa de la Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA) y de la Comisión de Derecho Ambiental (CDA) que se dicta en la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Diseñado para fortalecer las capacidades en materia de derecho ambiental en el Perú, cuenta con un destacado cuerpo docente nacional e internacional. El 23 de agosto de este año se iniciará el dictado del Ciclo 2004II/2005/I.
English Version
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CHAIR OF JUDICIARY SPECIALIST GROUP ADDRESSES BANGKOK AND KATHMANDU SYMPOSIA
23 July 2004
 Chair of the IUCN CEL Specialist Group on the Judiciary, Justice Paul Stein attended a Regional Workshop on the Role of the Judiciary in Promoting Sustainable Development in Bangkok, Thailand in late June 2004. The Symposium was organised by the World Bank Institute with the cooperation of UNESCAP, UNEP and the IUCN. Justice Stein delivered the Keynote Address on the Role of the Judiciary in Sustainable Development - progress, obstacles and current initiatives. He spoke about the critical importance of Environmental Law and Sustainable Development, its implementation, enforcement and development. In particular, Justice Stein stressed the intimate connection between the content of environmental law and the alleviation of poverty and the upholding of human dignity. From Bangkok Justice Stein proceeded to Kathmandu in Nepal for the South Asian Interaction on Environmental Justice and Equity. This event was organised by the Nepal Forum for Justice in cooperation with the Supreme Court of Nepal. Justice Stein presented a paper on Specialist Environmental Courts - are there lessons for developing countries? At the close of proceedings the assembled judges issued the Kathmandu Declaration.
Full story
The Kathmandu Declaration
For more information on the Judiciary Specialist Group click here.
DRAFT INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND DEVELOPMENT - THIRD EDITION RELEASED
19 July 2004
 The third edition of the Draft Covenant is now available. The Draft Covenant is a blueprint for a global framework treaty consolidating and developing existing legal principles related to environment and development, first published in 1995 and launched at the UN Congress on Public International Law in New York. An initiative of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law in cooperation with the International Council of Environmental law, the Covenant is intended to be a 'living document', regularly up-dated to reflect international law and policy developments. In line with this approach, a second edition was made available in 1999, on the occasion of the closing of the UN Decade of International Law, and a third has now been released and published. The third edition takes stock of the results of the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, especially on the matter of implementation of international agreements. It also takes into account international law developments which occurred since the second edition.
To download a copy of the Draft Covenant click here. Errata
For more information on IUCN ELP Publications click here.
LEBANESE DELEGATION VISITS IUCN ELC
16 July 2004
 A high level delegation of Lebanese Members of Parliament, Judges, Government officials and academics has visited the IUCN Environmental Law Centre (ELC), Bonn as a part of a study tour to Germany. While visiting the ELC, presentations were made on the work of IUCN and the ELC, with a particular focus climate change, energy, renewables 2004, and international law and biodiversity, including the World Heritage Convention. The ELC was advised about many environmental initiatives in Lebanon, including the innovative Strengthening the Environmental Legislation Development and Application System in Lebanon (SELDAS) Project. The distinguished delegation included Mrs Samar Malek Azar, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) Regional Vice Chair for West Asia. The tour was coordinated by longstanding CEL member, Dr Lothar Guendling and the ELC will be participating in a follow up visit to Lebanon in 2005.
For more information on the Lebanese Ministry for Environment click here.
For more information on the CEL Steering Committee click here.
For more information on renewables 2004 click here.
'WATER AS A HUMAN RIGHT?' AND THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
13 July 2004
 Formally acknowledging water as a human right could encourage the international community and governments to enhance their efforts to satisfy basic human needs and to meet the Millennium Development Goals. But critical questions arise in relation to a right to water. What would be the benefits and content of such a right? What mechanisms would be required for its effective implementation? Should the duty be placed on governments alone, or should the responsibility also be borne by private actors? Is another 'academic debate' on this subject warranted when action is really what is necessary? Without claiming to prescribe the answers, the latest IUCN Environmental Law Programme (ELP) publication titled 'Water as a Human Right?' clearly and carefully sets out the competing arguments and the challenges. "In doing it has provided an excellent platform for critical thinking and informed debate" said Achim Steiner, IUCN Director General. 'Water as a Human Right?' was produced through the collaborative efforts of IUCN ELP staff, interns and volunteers, and benefited from being peer reviewed by experts from FAO and UNDP, which generously funded the publication.
To download a copy of 'Water as a Human Right?' click here.
For more information on IUCN ELP Publications click here.
A "Small Scale" Contribution
2 July 2004
 On 14 June 2004, the ELC was the venue for an informal discussion of 15 climate change and forestry experts from 14 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia on simplified modalities and procedures for small-scale afforestation and reforestation (SSAR) project activities under the clean development mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, and the measures to facilitate the implementation of these project activities. The IUCN-UNEP-FAO pre-consultation resulted in some preliminary observations regarding the key negotiation points for SSAR project activities, and a consensus that simplified modalities and procedures alone would not enable implementation of these project activities under the CDM, to the detriment of the low income communities and individuals who are the intended beneficiaries of these projects. Technical assistance to the informal group of developing countries continued throughout SB 20, resulting in the production, at the group's request, of several informal technical papers. COP 10 of the UNFCCC, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 6 to 17 December 2004, is the target date for adopting decisions on the simplified modalities and facilitative measures for SSAR project activities.
Full story here.
For more information on the IUCN Environmental Law Programme's climate change-related work, click here.
News June 2004 >
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