2011

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CISDL Publishes COP17 Climate Change Working Paper Series

Wed, 21 Dec 2011

CISDL, in collaboration with the International Development Law Organization, is very pleased to publish its 2011 Working Paper Series on Climate Change, prepared for and launched at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) in Durban, South Africa. The papers were launched during a High-Level Reception at the conference on “Climate Law and Governance in the Global South,” co-organized by the CISDL in the context of the COP17.

This Working Paper Series gathers recent work by CISDL Legal Researchers, addressing key issues in the context of the UNFCCC COP17 negotiations. Please follow the links on the titles below to access the papers:

CISDL Climate Law & Governance Events at the UNFCCC COP17

Wed, 7 Dec 2011

 

The CISDL, in collaboration with the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), the Law Society of South Africa, Warburton Attorneys – Sustainability Specialists and other partners and sponsors have organized a series of events in the context of the UNFCCC COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, from 28 Nov to 9 Dec 2011.

 

In the context of the COP17, CISDL co-organised a 2-day international conference on Dec 3 and 4, on the theme of Climate Law and Governance in the Global South. The objective of the conference was to catalyze legal thought on climate change and its implications for the development of laws and institutions for developing countries, and promote south-south dialogue and sharing of legal best practices. The conference exceeded expectations in terms of the quality of the keynotes, panels and workshops, the numerous and engaged audience as well as the fruitful exchanges, dialogue and debate that will be pursued beyond this event. In the context of the COP17, this conference contributed to catalyzing, inspiring and stimulating thought and initiatives related to Climate Law and Governance in the Global South. Over 200 participants attended the event, including delegates to the UNFCCC COP17 as well as members of the South African legal community. Registration for the conference was open to all and free of charge.

 

The conference was chaired by Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, CISDL Senior Director & Head of IDLO Economic Growth and Trade, and Mr. Andrew Gilder, CISDL Legal Research Fellow & Head of Climate Change and Carbon Markets Law Practice, Warburton Attorneys. Keynote speakers included Ms. Amina Mohamed, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, Mr. Yannick Glemarec, Director of Climate Finance at UNDP, Mr. Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz, Executive Director of ICTSD, and Prof. Charles E. di Leva, Chief Counsel, Environmental and International Law Unit at the World Bank. Proceedings from the conference, including a conference report, pictures and the power point presentations will be made available on the conference website after the COP17, at http://cisdl.org/ICCLGGS/.

 

CISDL also co-hosted a high-level reception in order to launch some of its most recent climate law publications on Climate Compatible Development, drafted for the Climate & Development Knowledge Network in collaboration with IDLO and several local partners. These policy briefs aim to distil latest knowledge on key climate and development topics, and to analyze lessons learned from case studies of climate compatible development planning and practice in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin American and the Caribbean. The reception featured keynote addresses by Her Excellency Mary Robinson, Honorary President Oxfam International, President of Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, and former President, Republic of Ireland, as well as Mr. Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International.

 

CISDL hosted on 6 Dec a workshop at the International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development (ICTSD) conference, organised in the context of the Durban COP17. The workshop focused on the legal aspects of the transitions to a green economy, and included discussions on international investment law, regional trade agreements, human rights in the green economy and REDD+ mechanisms. The workshop involved an engaged discussion and exchange of ideas between panellists and the audience.

 

Finally, CISDL is co-hosting, along with IDLO, FAO and UN-REDD an official side-event at the UNFCCC COP17 on Dec 8, from 18h30 to 20h00 in the Blyde River Room. The side event will focus on Legal Preparedness for Climate Compatible Development: Securing REDD+. Leading developing country experts, along with IDLO, CISDL, FAO and others involved in the UN-REDD Programme, will discuss legal preparedness for climate compatible development, focusing on challenges and innovations in implementation of REDD+ and other climate finance. 

 

A summary of CISDL event is available  here

CISDL Hosts Roundtable on Legal Empowerment of the Poor

Fri, 2 Dec 2011

On Monday 21 November 2011, CISDL, in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada (FJA), hosted a Judicial Roundtable on the topic of “Hearing the Voiceless: Innovations from Local and International Tribunals.” The roundtable focused on innovative judicial approaches to Legal Empowerment of the Poor (LEP).

“Over 4 billion people are robbed of the chance to better their lives and climb out of poverty, because they are excluded from the rule of law.” LEP, conceptualized broadly in terms of access to justice, property rights, labor rights and business rights, is proposed to provide the opportunity for those living in poverty to improve their conditions and secure more sustainable livelihoods. This Roundtable Dialogue involved members of the judiciary from Ghana, Jamaica, Peru and Canada, judicial administrators, legal experts, academics, civil society organizations and students in an open discussion on how judicial systems can contribute to LEP. The Roundtable was chaired by the honorable Nicole Duval-Hesler, Chief Justice of Quebec. The discussion focused specifically on how LEP can contribute to empowerment for the voiceless and most marginalized groups at the domestic but also international judicial level. Areas of discussion included the environment, indigenous peoples and immigrant communities. The discussion highlighted major challenges and barriers as well as local and global progress and innovations in the judicial context. As emphasized in the LEP Commission Report, LEP is a bold vision, and its implementation presents a significant challenge. Overall, LEP requires a novel approach to poverty eradication, towards respect for human rights and sustainable development.

The roundtable began with expert presentations by Mr. Sébastien Jodoin (“Learning, Legal Empowerment & Social Change: A Look at Legal Innovations in Environmental Governance”), Prof. Konstantia Koutouki and Ms. Cassandra Porter (“Legal Empowerment of the Poor & Indigenous Voices”), & Mr. Patrick Reynaud (“Legal Empowerment in International Courts and Tribunals”).

A draft discussion paper with a summary of these presentations is available here

CISDL & WFC release report on Crafting Future Just Biodiversity Laws and Policies

Wed, 9 Nov 2011

As government representatives convene in Montreal, Canada, to discuss the further implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the World Future Council (WFC) and the Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) have published a new report highlighting positive examples of government actions to save the variety of life on earth. The paper entitled “Crafting Future Just Biodiversity Laws and Policies” includes a survey of the world’s best biodiversity laws from Costa Rica, Norway, Bhutan and South Africa which effectively tackle the loss of species on planet earth. The report also includes an analysis of successful sectoral biodiversity policies which address marine, forest and agricultural biodiversity. Visionary policies with proven positive impacts for humanity and the variety of life on earth from Australia, Namibia, Rwanda and the Region of Tuscany are highlighted. Furthermore, lawyers and political scientists from WFC and CISDL explain features of future just biodiversity laws and policies. The report draws on academic research and on nominations of the Future Policy Award from the past three years. The award celebrated the world’s best policies on food security in 2009, on biodiversity in 2010 and on forestry in 2011.


The report Crafting Future Just Biodiversity Laws and Policies is available here

Climate induced Migration, Sustainable Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction Intervention and Policy in Bangladesh

Mon, 7 Nov 2011

The Hans & Tamar Oppenheimer Chair and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law are pleased to invite you to a Brown Bag Lunch Seminar with Rathana peou van den Heuvel. It will take place on Nov. 10, 2011 - 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at the Faculty of Law, Old Chancellor Day Hall, Room 16, 3644 rue Peel, Montreal, H3A 1W9, Quebec, Canada

ABSTRACT

The topic of climate induced displacement appeared quite recently in the international scientific research as in the media. Although very new, it is usually pointed as very urgent.

If the projections of the UN come true, Dhaka will be the fourth largest megacity in the world by 2025. It would even be the fastest growing city, with one of the highest slum prevalence. Therefore, many reports highlight the risks of such a rapid growth and the vulnerability of the slum dwellers, in the international press as well as in the local press. In the space of a few years, Dhaka has become the symbol of the urban growth linked to climate change and other risks.

At another level several predictions have been made with regards to the number of people displaced for climatic reasons. In 1995, Norman Myers argued that sea-level rise together with increase of inland floods (from melting Himalayan glaciers) would result in 15 million of environmentally displaced for Bangladesh. The latter would review his estimate in 2001 this time stating that the number of people at risk in Bangladesh by 2050 could amount to 26 millions. However, as highlighted in the recent report Assessing the Evidence: Environment, Climate Change and Migration in Bangladesh by IOM; “Some existing- and widely cited – figures vary by as much as a factor of 40(...) and in reality none of them have a sound basis in empirical data”.

The Government of Bangladesh has been gradually, over the last decade, active in developing the capacities of the country toward Climate Change. However, climate induced migrants are not yet viewed as part of a specific category with particular needs in regards to the local/national legal frameworks.

Lack of empirical data, evidence based policy recommendations impact the way climate induced migration is addressed currently in Bangladesh. However the main challenge while reflecting on this issue lies on the low understanding of the dynamic between environment and social – economical factors and on what could be the climate induced migration patterns in a context of high exposure to disaster, environmental degradation and poverty (officially 50 million people still live in poverty).  Based on literature review, one empirical research completed and two- ongoing research projects, the proposed presentation aims at:

- Presenting a Categorization of Climate Induced Migrant in Bangladesh

- Replacing the Internal Migration in Bangladesh within the phenomenon of international labor migration

- Framing remittance mechanisms as an Climate Change Adaptation Strategy

- Analyzing Interventions and how Climate Induced Migrant are included into poverty alleviation programs

- Evaluating the impacts of Micro- Finance Institutions on the resilience and capacity of Adaptation of the Climate Induced Migrant

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Rathana peou van den Heuvel is an Associate Professor at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) and a member of the ULAB Academic Council.  She is also the Deputy Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) where she leads research programmes on different issues related to human trafficking and sex workers in Bangladesh, issues related to climate induced migration, impacts of active learning, and characteristics of social business.  She is also currently an Independent Assessment Panel (IAP) member for SHIREE (funded by DFID), responsible for screening and assessing applications by NGOs to fund and for recommending successful proposals.

Prior to joining ULAB-ISD in 2009, Rathana worked as an international consultant and humanitarian workers in Sudan, Kenya, Pakistan and Bangladesh.  She spent over two years in Darfur as an education, and evaluation manager building programme framework of activities and matrix of impact monitoring.

She has worked with and consulted for agencies such as DFID, USAID, ECHO, DIPECHO, AFD, EU and different INGOs and NGOs. She also ran different training programmes related to report and documentation skills and strategic position papers.

She holds a PhD in Political Science majoring in Philosophy and a minor in Arabic and a Masters degree in Political Science. Dr. Rathana’s research interests lies in the “4 inviolate principles”: food security, water security, energy security and social “health” security. These principles are dynamic in different context from emergency situation to development.

CISDL & IDLO release Contribution to Deliberations of UNCSD (Rio+20)

Wed, 2 Nov 2011

On November 1 2011, the International Law for Sustainable Development (ILSD) Partnership led by the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) released their contribution to the United Nations Conference for Sustainable Development (UNCSD, also known as Rio+20) deliberations. This input to the UNCSD compilation document was the result of a wide consultation process and discussions between the ILSD partners, which included a seminar held in Rome at IDLO in June 2011.

The objective of this note is to provide guidance to Member States and other stakeholders, and responds to the invitation from the Second Preparatory Committee of the UNCSD to provide inputs and contributions in writing for inclusion in a compilation document to serve as basis for the preparation of zero draft of the outcome document of the UNCSD. The above request was transmitted by the Co-Chairs of the UNCSD Bureau.

As per their mandate and discussions, the ILSD partnership focused on the role of international law in advancing sustainable development. The goal of the ILSD Partnership is to strengthen sustainable development governance at the international, regional and national levels, laying the foundation for policy implementation by facilitating access to, compliance with, and enforcement of coherent, integrated economic, social and environmental law.

A full version of the contribution is available here.

Following is a summary of the key recommendations contained in the documents:

The International Law for Sustainable Development Partnership recommends that States convened at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development:

-      Recognize sustainable development as a central objective of international law;

-      Engage in a significant effort to resolve conflicts between sustainable development obligations contained in international law and other international and domestic legal obligations. The ILSD Partnership views the UNCSD as an opportunity to focus attention and dialogue on this growing issue;

-      Emphasize and clarify the importance and role of international law as a tool to support the pillars of sustainable development, and especially recognize and validate the growing role of sustainable development in international treaty law, customary law and the decisions of international courts and tribunals;

-      Highlight the importance of innovative, integrated and coordinated domestic law and policy reform and initiatives to green the key sectors of the economy identified in the 2011 UNEP Green Economy Report;

-      Recognize and promote the role of international law for the transition to a green economy in the context of poverty eradication, and specifically the pivotal role played by Multilateral Environmental Agreements, international trade, investment and finance law, as well as international human rights and legal empowerment initiatives;

-      Emphasize the importance of streamlining sustainable development at all levels of domestic institutions and governance, in order to effectively green the key sectors identified in the 2011 UNEP Green Economy Report, which often depend on various levels of governance;

-      Promote the importance of legal empowerment and access to justice at the domestic institutional level for sustainable development;

-      Mandate the UNCSD or another body to carry out a comprehensive review of the international institutional structure for sustainable development, which has grown in size and complexity over the past two decades;

-      Establish an international experts panel to examine the advancement of international law on sustainable development in the past 20 years, especially in treaties and international courts and tribunals. This panel would produce a full report as well as a practical legal toolkit for decision-makers.

CISDL Releases Report on Consultation of Quebec Civil Society for the Rio+20 Conference

Sat, 29 Oct 2011

On September 21, 2011, the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN) and the Regional Office for North America of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) held a consultation of Quebec civil society on the United Nations Conference for Sustainable Development of 2012 (also known as Rio+20).

The objective of this consultation, held in Montreal, was twofold: to inform the participants about the Rio+20 Conference and the opportunities that it awards, and to invite participants to share opinions and experiences on the key themes and possible results of the Rio+20 Conference. The consultation specifically aimed to collect ideas and recommendations from participants on the two main themes of the Rio+20 Conference: a green economy in the context of poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

The consultation benefited from the participation of over 35 experts from a variety of backgrounds, including academics, civil society, the private and public sector, and representatives from CEN and UNEP. This report presents a brief summary of the main recommendations that benefited from consensus from the participants to this consultation. The report does not attribute any particular opinion to any specific participant and the conclusions involved do not necessarily represent the opinion of all participants.

The full report is available here.

CISDL Mourns Loss of Prof. Wangari Maathai

Mon, 26 Sep 2011

The Centre for International Sustainable development Law (CISDL) mourns the loss of Professor Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement and International Advisor of the CISDL. Prof. Maathai passed away in Nairobi on September 25th, 2011, at 71 years of age.

Prof. Maathai was and remains a leading international and African expert and advocate for sustainable development. Prof. Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977, to encourage women in rural Kenya to plant trees in order to improve their livelihoods through improved access to clean water, firewood and overall increases in the value of their property. The Green Belt Movement has since planted over 30 million trees throughout Africa. Prof. Maathai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 in recognition of her lifelong commitment to sustainable development and the empowerment of women. She was the first African woman to receive this honour. Prof. Maathai was also internationally acclaimed as a democracy and human rights supporter. In 2002, she was elected to the Kenyan Parliament, and appointed Assistant Minister for environment and natural resources. In 2009, she was appointed United Nations Messenger of Peace by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

For the CISDL, Prof. Maathai was a beloved mentor, visionary and a strong source of hope and inspiration. Her courage and resilience in the face of adversity, her successful and creative sustainable development endeavours, as well as her thoughtful words and wise guidance have left an indelible mark on the vision and objectives which lead the CISDL. CISDL offers condolences and sympathy to the family of Prof. Maathai at this sad occasion.

Prof. Wangari Maathai launching the Billion Tree Campaign at Exeter College, Oxford, with CISDL members in 2007

Prof. Wangari Maathai launching the Billion Tree Campaign at Exeter College, Oxford, with CISDL members in 2007

Invitation to Apply: CISDL/IDLO Legal Research Group

Thu, 8 Sep 2011

Centre for International Sustainable Development Law & International Development Law Association 
Montreal, Canada & Rome, Italy

Apply for a pro bono legal research position in the international Legal Research Group of the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), an independent international legal research centre, jointly with the environment & sustainable development programs of the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO). Join law and graduate students from Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, McGill, Stanford, Montreal and other universities to gain experience, opportunities, professional development, and build great networks in the fields of environment, development, economics and law.

For more details on this position, see http://www.cisdl.org/visitors.html or email preynaud@cisdl.org.

Successful candidates may become engaged in a variety of research projects linked to the following themes: climate change; biodiversity & biosafety; natural resources; trade & investment; human rights & poverty eradication; health & hazards; and governance, institutions & accountability.

Upcoming projects and publications include:

  • a book on sustainable development in international courts & tribunals (with Cambridge University Press)
  • a project involving a study of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (with the Convention on Biological Diversity)
  • a Sustainable Development Law on Climate Change Paper Series (to be published in the international journal Climate Law and launched at an international conference during the COP17 in Durban).
  • a textbook on human rights and climate change
  • a collection of policy briefs on best practices in climate compatible development (to be presented at a side event at the Durban COP17)
  • a working paper series on legal empowerment for sustainable development (to be launched at a side event at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in June 2012)
  • a working paper series on legal aspects of indigenous sustainable management of natural resources
  • a project on sustainable management of water resources in New Delhi
  • a project on legal preparedness for climate change in Kenya

and much more…

If you are interested, please submit a CV along with a 1-2 page statement of interest, to preynaud@cisdl.org, with copies to mcsegger@cisdl.org and akhalfan@cisdl.org by October 1st 2011. Final selection will take place immediately after this deadline. The CV and statement of interest should include details on any relevant publications, academic & professional experience, research interests, language proficiency, and country of residence. Research group members are based everywhere in the world, in developing and developed countries. Writing samples are also accepted.

Thank you for your interest in the CISDL & IDLO.

Open Invitation: COP17 International Conference on Climate Law and Governance in the Global South

Mon, 22 Aug 2011

International Conference on Climate Law and Governance in the Global South

CISDL together with the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) and Warburton Attorneys are very pleased to invite you to an international conference on ‘Climate Law & Governance in the Global South’ in the context of the 2011 COP17 negotiations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban. This Conference will be the first edition of an annual conference specifically focused on the legal and governance aspects of climate change mitigation, adaptation and finance in the global south. The Conference on ‘Climate Law & Governance in the Global South’ will bring together country representatives, development practitioners, law & governance experts, researchers, academics and other key stakeholders to discuss the most pressing issues facing developing country governments and citizens. The Conference will take place at the Faculty of Law of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Howard College Campus in Durban, on Saturday 3 December & Sunday 4 December, 2011.

This Conference aims at stimulating dialogue, analyzing current trends and catalyzing legal thought on climate change and its implications for the development of laws and institutions in developing countries. Specifically, the conference hopes to address the gap in best practices related to climate change laws and governance in developing countries. As such, the conference will focus on fostering knowledge-sharing of best practices between the variety of stakeholders involved in climate law and governance with a focus on developing a South-South dialogue.

For more information on the Conference, and to register online, please follow this link. Attendance is by registration only, free of charge. For questions please contact secretariat@cisdl.org.

A draft version of the Conference program is available here.

CISDL Working Papers on Legal Aspects of Indigenous Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

Fri, 19 Aug 2011

CISDL Natural Resources Program is pleased to publish selected papers from its new Working Paper Series on Legal Aspects of Indigenous Sustainable Management of Natural Resources. The vital relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the natural environment is steadily being accepted in international law through such important legal instruments as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention C169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. With this new Working Paper Series, CISDL aims to encourage new and rigorous scholarship of compelling interest to scholars and policy-makers active in relevant fields.

Selected Papers:

Ms. Jillian Friedman – Legal and Institutional Barriers to Fair Trade
Dr. Kihangi Bindu Kennedy – L’exploitation du pétrole du Lac Édouard et la Loi Environmentale en République Démocratique du Congo
Dr. Kishan Khoday & Prof. Usha Natarajan – Returning to Eden: Combating Ecological Change through Indigenous Rights
Dr. Konstantia Koutouki & Katharina Rogalla Von Bieberstein – The Nagoya Protocol: Status of Indigenous and Local Communities
Ms. Eliana Fischman – Working Together: Experiences in Joint Protected Area Management in Australia
Mame Ngone Sow - De Rio de Janeiro à Genève en passant par Nagoya

Launch of honourable Charles D. Gonthier Legacy Website

Fri, 12 Aug 2011

The CISDL, in collaboration with the Université de Montréal, McGill University and the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice are launching a website for the legacy of the honourable Charles D. Gonthier. Charles D. Gonthier was for 14 years a Puisne Judge at the Supreme Court of Canada. He was the founding Chairperson of the CISDL Board of Governors, and significantly contributed to both the CISDL and sustainable development law through his guidance and scholarship. The website contains biographical information about Charles D. Gonthier, a list of his publications and a complete list of his judgments. The website also contains materials from the very successful symposium ‘Responsibility, Fraternity and Sustainability in Law’ in memory of Charles D. Gonthier, which occurred in Montreal in May 2011. The symposium attracted over 200 participants and an impressive variety of Canadian and international speakers, including supreme court justices, leading scholars, academics and legal practitioners. Materials provided free of charge on the website include video recordings of the conference panels, reports from the conference panels, as well as manuscripts from the different lectures.

You can access the website at the following link:

Charles D. Gonthier Legacy Website

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Fri, 5 Aug 2011

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law has released a legal brief entitled "Human Rights and the Environment: Key Challenges and Best Practices." The brief was submitted to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as part of its preparatory process for producing a report on human rights and the environment that is due to be presented at the March 2012 session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The legal brief was edited by CISDL Lead Counsel Sébastien Jodoin and CISDL Associate Fellow Yolanda Saito. The brief examines two key challenges at the intersection of human rights and the environment, three best practices for integrating human rights into policies and programmes for sustainable development, and a number of recommendations for developing the normative and policy framework for human rights and environmental protection.

PDF

Open Invitation: Promoting Carbon Markets and Sustainable Adaptation in Mexico and Latin America

Thu, 4 Aug 2011

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), in partnership with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO); the Colegio de Abogados Ambientales de Mexico (CAAM); the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and the Special Committee on Climate Change of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico are organising, with the support from the Department of Law of the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), an International Symposium entitled "Legal Preparedness for Climate Change: Promoting Carbon Markets and Sustainable Adaptation in Mexico and Latin America."

This Legal Symposium will take place from 08 - 09 of September 2011 in Mexico City and will be a forum that encourages meeting, learning, dialogue and reflection among decision makers, representatives of states, national and international experts, members of the business community, academics and students. The goal of the Symposium is to generate practical legal analysis, increased legal capacity and realistic recommendations that will position Mexico and Latin America as examples of green development and share legal models for proposing and implementing solutions to climate change. The Symposium will also be webcast through both the IDLO and ITAM websites, in order to foster greater international participation and impact. To register for the symposium, please contact dalvarez@cisdl.org.

Download the poster here.

IDLO & CISDL Release Responses to UNCSD Questionnaire

Thu, 16 Jun 2011

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) and the International Development Law Organisation released responses to the Questionnaire submitted by the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) during a 3-day seminar in Rome, Italy. The UNCSD will take place in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012. The Questionnaire contains sections on the three objectives for the conference: renewed political commitment for sustainable development; assessing progress and remaining gaps in implementation; and addressing new and emerging challenges. It also has sections on each of the two themes for the conference: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; and the institutional framework for sustainable development. CISDL & IDLO completed the Questionnaire on behalf of the International Law for Sustainable Development Partnership, of which they are leading partners. The main goal of the partnership is to strengthen sustainable development governance at the international, regional and national levels, laying the foundation for policy implementation by facilitating access to, compliance with, and enforcement of coherent, integrated economic, social and environmental law.

To read the Questionnaire, please follow this link.

Highlights: May 2011

Sun, 15 May 2011

CISDL Launches New Legal Working Paper Series on Legal Empowerment for Sustainable Development

15 May, 2011 | Yale University | New Haven, USA

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) is pleased to launch a new Legal Working Paper Series on Legal Empowerment for Sustainable Development. As defined by the High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, legal empowerment involves strengthening access to justice and the rule of law as well as securing property rights, labour rights, and business rights for all individuals, especially those who are traditionally marginalized and disadvantaged. The Series will be edited by Prof. Sumudu Ataputtu, CISDL Lead Counsel & Associate Director of Global Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin Law School and Sébastien Jodoin, CISDL Lead Counsel & Associate Fellow with the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. This Legal Working Paper Series will gather scholarship focusing on the law and policy aspects of different pillars of legal empowerment and on the cross-cutting effects of legal empowerment on both the environment and development.

CISDL Launches New Legal Working Paper Series on Sustainable Development Law on Natural Resources

22 May, 2011 | University of Montreal | Montreal, Canada

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) is pleased to feature a cutting-edge Legal Working Paper Series on "Legal Aspects of Indigenous Sustainable Management of Natural Resources." The vital relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the natural environment is steadily being accepted in international law through such important legal instruments as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the ILO Convention 169 Indigenous and Tribal Peoples. The Series will be edited by Prof. Konstantia Koutouki, CISDL Lead Counsel for Natural Resources and Associate Professor at the University of Montreal in Canada. With this new Legal Working Paper Series on "Legal Aspects of Indigenous Sustainable Management of Natural Resources," CISDL scholars aim to encourage new and rigorous scholarship of compelling interest to scholars and policy-makers active in relevant fields focusing on the law and policy aspects of different pillars of Indigenous sustainable management of natural resources.

CISDL Launches New Legal Working Paper Series on Eco-Health in the Americas

22 May, 2011 | McGill University | Montreal, Canada

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) is pleased to present the first drafts of a new Legal Working Paper Series on Eco-Health in the Americas. Canada and the countries of the Americas are proceeding with an agenda international cooperation and economic liberalisation, which, if realised, will transform the political, environmental, social and economic geography of the Western Hemisphere. This new Legal Working Paper Series is an outcome of a larger IDRC supported research project with partners such as CINPE in Central America, ECOS in the Mercosur, CEHI in the Caribbean and FUNSAD in the Andes, along with CDA in Chile, CIEDUR in Uruguay and UIEM in Mexico, the Eco-Health Assessment Law in the Americas Project, which seeks to identify, analyse and reduce health and environment risks from economic integration for the communities and ecosystems of the Americas, by facilitating the integration of health and development issues in environmental assessment laws and policies of the 34 countries of Americas.

CISDL and IDLO Launch New Legal Working Paper Series on Sustainable Development Law on Climate Change

08 December, 2011 | UNFCCC COP 16 | Cancun, Mexico

The International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) are pleased to present our new Legal Working Paper Series on Sustainable Development Law on Climate Change. This Legal Working Paper Series gathers recent and updated works by IDLO Experts and CISDL Legal Researchers, addressing key issues for current negotiations, implementation and monitoring under the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the 2010 Cancun Agreements. The Series was edited by Sarah Mason-Case, CISDL Associate Fellow and IDLO Legal Specialist for Climate Change, Sustainable Development Law Programs and Benoit Mayer, CISDL Associate Fellow, both at McGill University Faculty of Law.

CISDL, IDLO, ILA and LCIL Launch New Online Analytical Tool on Sustainable Development Law

08 June, 2011 | IDLO | Rome, Italy

The ILA, IDLO, LCIL and CISDL are honoured to announce the launch of our new pilot website on sustainable development law. In recent years discussions of the role of international law in sustainable development have expanded considerably. Not only is the concept of sustainable development increasingly being invoked before national courts and tribunals around the word, international courts and tribunals are beginning to recognise sustainable development goals and instruments explicitly in their decisions. This on-line tool was designed to support researchers around the world interested in the legal dimension of sustainable development. This new website is the result of a few months of research into how international courts and tribunals have referred to, or used, the concept/objective of sustainable development, and related international legal principles in the past 2 decades. It comprised links to the decisions from economic, social and human rights and international public law courts and tribunals that have applied sustainable development principles in the resolution of disputes from 1992 - 2012.

To learn more about the project or to use the Analytical Tool, visit the website at: SD Law in ICTs Web Research Tool Website.

Call for Papers

Thu, 12 May 2011

Legal Empowerment for Sustainable Development

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) is calling for papers featuring cutting edge research for its new Working Paper Series on "Legal Empowerment for Sustainable Development." The Working Paper Series will be edited by Prof. Sumudu Ataputtu, CISDL Lead Counsel & Associate Director of Global Legal Studies at the University of Wisconsin Law School and Sébastien Jodoin, CISDL Lead Counsel & Associate Fellow with the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism.

Call for Papers - Legal Empowerment for Sustainable Development

Open Invitation

Thu, 5 May 2011

CISDL hosts Roundtable Dialogue on Legal Empowerment of the Poor for Sustainable Livelihoods

The CISDL hosted on 21 March 2011 a Roundtable Dialogue on Legal Empowerment of the Poor (LEP) for Sustainable Livelihoods in Ottawa, Canada. Participants included legal scholars and jurists from all across Canada. This Roundtable Dialogue aimed to involve major stakeholders in an open discussion on how key Canadian actors are contributing to the realisation of the LEP agenda, and what more can be done. Participants discussed for example the roles of Canada, and Canadians in promoting legal empowerment of the poor, including through research, action and policy leadership, as well as how to build understanding and support for legal empowerment in Canada, and among partners. The CISDL drafted a discussion paper for the Roundtable, which is available below.

Download Programme

Download Discussion Paper

Open Invitation

Mon, 2 May 2011

Sustainable Development in World Investment Law International Legal Experts Seminar & Book Launch

The CISDL is hosting an International Legal Experts Seminar on 7 May 2011 at the Lauterpach Centre for International Law (LCIL) in Cambridge University, UK. Through three legal experts panels, and a roundtable of leading figures in investment law, practitioners and scholars will discuss new developments and directions for investment treaty practice and jurisprudence, and identify key areas for a future legal research agenda for sustainable development and investment law. The event will close with a Book Launch Reception for MC Cordonier Segger, M Gehring & A Newcombe (eds.), Sustainable Development in World InvestmentLaw (Kluwer Law International, 2010), to which Seminar speakers and participants contributed. For more information or to confirm participation, email akent@cisdl.org.

Download Programme

Innovative Sustainability Instruments for the Green Economy: A Law & Policy Experts Panel on Strengthening Carbon Markets by Integrating the Environmental and Social Impacts of Trade & Investment, COP 16 Experts Panel Report

Sun, 1 May 2011

Sustainable Prosperity, a green economy policy research network based at the University of Ottawa, and the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), based at McGill University, hosted an international policy experts panel during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Cancun, Mexico, on Thursday, December 09, 2010, as part of the ICTSD Symposium on the Role of Trade and Markets in Addressing Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The Experts Panel Event focused on the role that new instruments, such as impact assessments and carbon pricing tools, can play in helping to address climate change and secure more sustainable development. Please click here to view the report.

For more details about the report click here.

Open Invitation

Thu, 28 Apr 2011

Sustainable Development in World Investment Law: Book Launch and an International Legal Experts Seminar

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law cordially invites you to a book launch reception and an international legal experts seminar on the topic of sustainable development and international investment law, at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, on Saturday May 7th, 2011. The event will focus on recent developments and future perspectives for a sustainable development policy and the international investment law regime.

For more details about the book click here.

Open Invitation

Wed, 16 Mar 2011

Topic Discussion: International Law and Climate Change

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law is pleased to invite you to an expert panel discussion on the topic of international law and climate change. The event will focus on the outcomes of recent international negotiations and future perspectives for an international climate change regime.

Download the poster here.

CPF Global Forest Expert Panel on the International Forest Regime releases Global Assessment Report

Mon, 24 Jan 2011

On January 24, 2011, The Collaborative Partnership on Forests' Global Forest Expert Panel on the International Forest Regime released its global assessment report, "Embracing complexity: Meeting the challenges of international forest governance". CISDL Biodiversity Law Fellows Olivier Rukundo and Frederic Perron-Welch participated in its development along with over 60 other global experts in political science, policy studies, law and international relations. The report will be will be presented during the Ninth Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) as part of the launch of the International Year of Forests, thereby aiming to inform international negotiations on the future of the international forest regime.

The report and policy brief can be viewed here.

CISDL Reports on UNFCCC COP16 Events

Thu, 20 Jan 2011

The Centre for International Development Law is pleased to release reports on the following 2 events held at the UNFCCC COP16 in Cancun.

Innovative Sustainability Instruments for the Green Economy: A Law & Policy Experts Panel on Strength hening Carbon Markets by Integrating the Environmental and Social Impacts of Trade & Investment 
Dec 9 2010 /
Hotel Azul Sensatori, Cancun, Mexico

Co-hosted by Sustainable Prosperity & the CISDL at the ICTSD Symposium on the Role of Trade and Markets in Addressing Climate Change and Sustainable Development at the COP16 

Summary
This law and policy experts panel focused on the role that new instruments, such as impact assessments and carbon pricing tools, can play in helping to address climate change and secure more sustainable development. It addressed questions such as what key climate change challenges have been raised in recent impact assessments of trade and investment treaties, and how are new market based instruments being deployed to address them; how can these instruments support the transition to a low carbon economy and harness trade & investment for sustainable development; and what can be learned from recent EU, Canada and US experiences, and from policy experiments in developing countries. To access the report please click here.

Building Bridges, Filling Gaps: The Law & Policy Research Agenda on Climate Change Governance and Sustainable Development towards Rio+20
An IDLO/CISDL/CAAM Law & Policy Research Dialogue 
Dec 9, 2010 /
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Cancun, Mexico 

Summary 
In this Law & Policy Research Seminar, leading developed and developing country negotiators and experts identified key priorities for the emerging law and policy research agendas on climate change governance and sustainable development in the lead-up to the 2012 Earth Summit. Participants included academic partners from Taiwan University, University of Warsaw, McGill University, the University of Ottawa, the Université de Montréal, the University of Cambridge, Yale University, the University of Sidney, the University of Costa Rica, the University of Chile, the University of Capetown, the University of Hanoi, and the Indonesian Society for Environmental Law, among others. Collaborators included the International Development Law Organization, the Centre for International Sustainable Development, Sustainable Prosperity, the International Law Association, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Colegio de Abogados para el Ambiente de Mexico. To access the report please click here.

CISDL - IDLO Awards of Excellence in Legal Scholarship on Sustainable Development

Wed, 19 Jan 2011

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law and the International Development Law Organisation wish to congratulate Ms. Sarah Mason-Case and Mr. Benoit Mayer, this year’s recipients of the CISDL-IDLO Awards of Excellence in Legal Scholarship on Sustainable Development. This year’s awards were presented by Dr. Charlotte Streck, CISDL Lead Counsel for Climate Change, during a conference hosted by the CISDL and the IDLO at the UNFCCC COP16 in Cancun, Mexico. The researchers were specifically recognized for their outstanding contributions to the CISDL-IDLO working paper series on climate change, published in the context of the COP16.

Ms. Sarah Mason-Case is an Associate Fellow with the CISDL. She is currently an LL.M. candidate in a specialized law and environment programme at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Sarah’s LL.M. thesis will assess the impacts of regulating food systems on climate change, human rights and economic development. She is particularly interested in financial incentives for sustainable agriculture. At the moment, she is concentrating her work on the assessment of international and domestic certification regimes for organic products. Mr. Benoit Mayer studied international Human Rights law at McGill University, mixing political and legal approaches on issues such as access to medicines for HIV affected populations in developing countries, climate change law and international migrations. He graduated from McGill in 2010 after writing his supervised project on the (lack of) international legal framework on climate change induced migrations. He is now a research assistant at McGill University and intends to pursue a PhD in the Fall of 2011.

Each year, the CISDL and IDLO jointly reward two young legal researchers who demonstrate an exceptional contribution to scholarship on sustainable development law and policy, by the presentation of an award for a leading research paper or brief. The CISDL-IDLO Award of Excellence in Legal Scholarship on Sustainable Development encourages innovative research on the role of law in advancing instruments for the integration of environmental protection, human rights and socio-economic development. The awards are presented to the young researchers in a public symposium held at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and in an international Conference of the Parties to a major United Nations Convention.

The CISDL and IDLO are fostering a collaborative network of legal experts around the world. Recipients of the CISDL-IDLO award gain not only distinction in name, but also direct access to a well-established centre for authoritative legal scholarship. Their contributions further the objectives of collaboration and information-sharing, and selection is based on the enhancement of timely questions of international concern as well as standards of outstanding quality.

Past recipients of the award have effectively grappled with highly complex issues, including: economic instruments for climate change mitigation and adaptation; the impact of international trade and investment law on environmental integrity; and the social, economic, cultural and other human rights of persons displaced by the effects of climate change. Interested candidates can contact info@cisdl.org for details.

Open Invitation

Wed, 19 Jan 2011

Junior Researchers' Conference on Climate Change and Sustainable Development & Experts Workshop on Climate Change and Sustainable Development 
Jan 22, 2011, 13:00 / 
International Studies Hall, Room 115, Korea University

The Center for Climate and Sustainable Development Law and Policy (CSDLAP) cordially invites you to Junior Researchers' Conference on Climate Change and Sustainable Development & Experts Workshop on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Please click here or visit www.sila.or.kr for more information.

Director of the Center for Climate and Sustainable Development Law and Policy: 
Suh-Yong Chung, JSD

Open Invitation

Mon, 17 Jan 2011

Jean Monnet Chair Seminar: Canada - European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement negotiations - A preliminary legal assessment 
Jan 14, 2011, 11:30am / 
Fauteux Hall, Room 361, University of Ottawa

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law cordially invites you to the Jean Monnet Chair Seminar on the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement negotiations at the University of Ottawa, with a keynote by Prof. Armand de Mestral, Monnet Chair in the Law of International Economic Integration, Prof. Markus W. Gehring, ad personam Jean Monnet Chair in Sustainable Development Law, and interventions by Prof. Celine Levesque (University of Ottawa), Prof. Konstantia Koutouki (Université de Montreal) and Frederic Perron-Welch (CISDL Legal Research Fellow).

Please click the following link to see the event flyer.

Open Invitation

Tue, 11 Jan 2011

Symposium im Honour of late Justic Charles D. Gonthier: Responsibility, Fraternity and Sustainability in Law 
May 20, 2011 
McGill University Faculty of Law, Quebec

The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, in collaboration with the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice, the McGill University Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal, are very pleased to invite you to a symposium in honour of the late Justice Charles D. Gonthier. The symposium, entitled “Responsibility, Fraternity and Sustainability in Law” will focus on the central themes of Justice Gonthier’s legal worldview. This prestigious event will bring together more than fifty Canadian and foreign speakers, including three judges of the Supreme Court of Canada, five judges from Canadian appeal courts, one member of the French Constitutional Council and a former vice-president of the International Court of Justice.

The Bar of Quebec has accredited this event for mandatory continuing legal education.

IDLO / CISDL Legal Working Paper Series on Sustainable Development Law on Climate Change

Wed, 5 Jan 2011

The International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) and the Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) are pleased to present our 2010 Legal Working Paper Series on Sustainable Development Law on Climate Change. This Legal Working Paper Series gathers recent and updated works by IDLO Experts and CISDL Legal Researchers, addressing key issues for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 16 negotiations:

© 2012 Centre for International Sustainable Development Law