Other key events also took place:

H.E. Christopher G. Weeramantry, former Vice-President of the International Court of Justice, was introduced by sponsor Me. Gerald Tremblay of McCarthy Tetrault, Canada’s largest law firm, and gave a brilliant keynote on the ancient historical precedents for international sustainable development law, at the Conference Banquet in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

A launching event also took place, for the new Centre for International Sustainable Development Law itself, where the new directors, lead counsel, senior research fellows, research fellows, associates and international advisors were presented to the gathered delegations. The new CISDL will be based in Montreal, in partnership with the faculties of law of McGill University, l’Université de Montréal and l’Université du Québec à Montréal, and the secretariats of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol, and the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

CISDL was honored and pleased with the enthusiastic welcome from the assembled guests, in particular the representatives of the Ministry of Justice of South Africa, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Ministry of State for the Environment of Uganda who made interventions. A symbolic bonsai tree was presented, and the first draft of ‘Weaving the Rules for Our Common Future: Principles, Practices and Prospects for International Sustainable Development Law’, which has become a manual on ISDL for developed and developing country jurists, was distributed for review.

An International Jurists Mandate for the Implementation of International Sustainable Development Law was also concluded, after intensive consultations with international advisors, and officially opened for signature by all conference participants. The CISDL and other partners collected 202 signatures of distinguished international jurists and legal experts, then presented the Mandate to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Finally, international book launches took place for two publications, ‘Sustainable Livelihoods’, a handbook for development professionals, by Dr. Naresh Singh, and ‘Focus 2002: Sustainable Devleopment’, a United Nations Treaty Series publication of multilateral accords related to sustainable development with Dr. Palitha Kohona.