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IUCN CONGRESS ELECTS NEW CHAIR OF THE IUCN COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
15 December 2004
 The IUCN Membership has elected Sheila Abed de Zavala of Paraguay as the new Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law during the Business Assembly of the 3rd IUCN World Conservation Congress. Ms. Abed is the Founder and Executive Director of the Paraguayan Environmental Law and Economics Institute (IDEA) and has had a vast and varied array of experience as a practicing environmental lawyer, representing the interests of government and civil society. IDEA works closely with parliamentarians, the judiciary and prosecutors, and is the permanent advisor to both Chambers of the Paraguayan Parliament, including the Commissions in charge of Natural Resources and the Environment. Under her guidance IDEA has received support of prestigious private, public and multi-lateral agencies. She trains diplomatic personnel in the negotiation of multilateral agreements, as well as personnel of other public agencies and private institutions, and is in charge of the 'Environmental Law and Policy' class of a Masters Degree course. Ms. Abed has a great passion for making the work of the IUCN Environmental Law Programme available in as many languages as is possible, and has herself mastered Spanish (mother tongue), English, Portuguese, and the indigenous tongue Guarani. The IUCN Council will appoint a new Steering Committee in February 2005.
FIRST NORTH AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM ON THE JUDICIARY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
12 December 2004
 Judges from across Canada, Mexico and USA gathered at the NYS Judicial Institute in White Plains, New York, on December 6-8, 2004 for the first Judicial Symposium on the Judiciary & Environmental Law held in North America. Many environmental law issues affecting the courts in North America were discussed, including the evolution of the "public trust" doctrine, the use of international norms in domestic courts, the impact of decisions by international trade arbitration panels on state and provincial courts, and developments in the law involving biotechnology. More than 40 judges and experts compared how these and other issues are handled in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, England, Mexico, as well as several States in the USA. The event was hosted by the Pace University Law School and the New York State Judicial Institute, and co-sponsored by IUCN - The World Conservation Union, UNEP and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, along with the New York State Judicial Institute, the National Judicial Institute of Canada and the American Bar Association's Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Section. Participants included Justice Paul Stein AM, Chair of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) Judiciary Specialist Group and Prof. Nicholas Robinson, former Chair of CEL.
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