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IUCN WCEL Early Career Specialist Group
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IUCN COMMISSION GROUP

IUCN WCEL Early Career Specialist Group

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Overview and description

Description:

The IUCN WCEL Early Career Specialist Group provides a platform for early-career environmental lawyers, policymakers, decision-makers, and researchers to develop innovative and integrated legal ...

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The IUCN WCEL Early Career Specialist Group provides a platform for early-career environmental lawyers, policymakers, decision-makers, and researchers to develop innovative and integrated legal solutions to our planet's emerging challenges.

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Group leadership

Ms Marina Demaria Venâncio
Chair
Marina Venâncio is an environment and youth advocate, with over nine years of experience in the field of environmental law research and practice. She is currently working as a programme officer at the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre and has previously contributed to several international and civil society organizations, including FAO and UNEP. She holds a master's degree in law, environment, and ecological politics from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil). Ms. Venancio has authored and co-authored more than forty publications in the field of domestic and international environmental law, and was awarded in 2016 the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s Green Talents Award for her research on agroecological public policies. She is also a member of the YPARD Steering Committee. You can contact her at [email protected].

Marina Venâncio is an environment and youth advocate, with over nine years of experience in the field of environmental law research and practice. She is currently working as a programme officer at the ...
Mr Alvin GACHIE
Deputy Chair

Alvin Gachie is a law professional with key strengths and experience in technical legal assistance, legal analysis, project management, and both establishing and managing partnerships with stakeholders. With over 10 years of experience of working in the United Nations system (UN Environment Programme – UNEP, UN Human Rights - OHCHR), in international civil society (Amnesty International, ActionAid) and in the private sector, Alvin has sound knowledge of various global political and social issues including environmental law, policy, and governance, human rights, and humanitarian action. He seeks to meet the needs of people and communities for a better world. You can contact him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvingachie/

Alvin Gachie is a law professional with key strengths and experience in technical legal assistance, legal analysis, project management, and both establishing and managing partnerships with ...

About the Specialist Group

The purpose of the IUCN WCEL Early-Career Specialist Group (ECSG) is to foster relationships among early-career environmental law professionals and encourage their participation in the activities and mission of the Commission, in line with the 2021-2024 mandate of the World Commission on Environmental Law and the 2021–2024 IUCN Programme.

The ECSG is focused on achieving three overarching goals:

  • Provide next-generation, cutting-edge perspectives in environmental law to the World Commission on Environmental Law and the broader IUCN Programme.
  • Provide a cross-cutting platform for the next generation of lawyers, policymakers, decision-makers, and scholars to exchange information and ideas on emerging and interdisciplinary topics in environmental law and meaningfully engage in environmental law research and practice.
  • Promote innovative environmental law solutions to tackle the socio-ecological crisis, fostering intergenerational partnerships.

Our members

'Early-career' can be defined as "35 years or younger or within five years of completing a postgraduate degree in law or ten years or less since completing an undergraduate degree in law." Nonetheless, all World Commission on Environmental Law and broader IUCN community members are welcome to engage in and contribute to the ECSG's activities.

ECSG members include leading early-career professionals working across all environmental law fields, from biodiversity to climate change law. The ECSG seeks to leverage its members' expertise by developing projects focused on emerging environmental law topics

Workstreams

The ECSG activities for 2022-2024 are developed under four core projects, namely:

  1. Next-generation environmental law research
    Project co-leads: Ms. Elisa Fiorini Beckhauser ([email protected]) and Ms. Valeriana Augusta Broetto ([email protected])
  2. World Commission on Environmental Law Mentorship Programme
    Project co-leads: Ms. Ishwarya Kandasamy ([email protected]) and Ms. Jiya Matharani ([email protected]) (Former lead: Ms. Larissa Jane Houston)
  3. Networks and partnerships for the future of environmental law
    Project co-leads: Ms. Ria Das ([email protected]) and Mr. Edwin Alblas ([email protected]) (Former leads: Mr. Patrick Toussaint, Ms. Camille Loyer, Mr. Mr. Adrián Martínez Blanco)
  4. Science-policy Interfaces in the context of environmental rule of law
    Project lead: Ms. Paula Silveira Galbiatti ([email protected])

Are you interested in contributing to our activities?

We invite you to create a new account in the IUCN Commissions Membership portal, log in, and apply to become a member of the World Commission on Environmental Law. Please indicate in your application form that you would like to join the “WCEL Early Career Network,” even if you received your law degree more than five years ago. Similarly, please indicate your interest in joining the group in the “brief outline” section. Click here for a general video on how to apply. We are eager to welcome you to the ECSG!

Check out our "get involved” page to learn about WCEL membership. Please do not hesitate to write to us should you have any questions!

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