A TRIBUTE TO A DEAR FRIEND OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTRE
It is with deep sadness that we see the passing of our friend Veit Koester.
Veit made significant contributions to international environmental law, notably through his role in negotiating and implementing paramount environmental treaties such as the Convention on Migratory Species, the Ramsar Convention, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, and the Bern Convention on European Wildlife. He was instrumental in the negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, its Biosafety and Access and Benefit Sharing Protocols and also of the Aarhus Convention.
Veit Koester
Photo: IISD
An early member of IUCN’s Commission on Environmental Law (CEL), he participated in IUCN’s work on cutting-edge issues, like the explanatory guides to newly adopted international instruments (CBD, Biosafety, and ABS), and national biodiversity-relevant legislation. Veit was IUCN Regional Councillor for West Europe (1988-1994), and served as member of the CEL Steering from 2007-2009.
He was also recipient of many awards including the UNEP Global 500 Award (1996), the Elizabeth Haub Prize for Environmental Diplomacy (1999), and the Environmental Law Prize of the Danish Society for Environmental Law (2010).
In 2012, he was awarded Honorary Membership of IUCN at the World Conservation Congress in Jeju, for his exceptional contribution to the goals of the Union.
Veit led an extraordinary life committed to sustainability and nature conservation. He will be sorely missed.
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