2011
CDIDS publica Serie Documentos de Trabajo sobre Cambio Climático COP17
Fri, 23 Dec 2011
El CDIDS, en colaboración con la Organización de Desarrollo de Derecho Internacional, se complace en publicar su Serie de Documento de Trabajo sobre el Cambio Climático 2011, elaborado y puesto en marcha en la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC), 17ª Conferencia de las Partes (COP17) en Durban, Sudáfrica. Los documentos fueron lanzados durante una recepción de alto nivel en la conferencia sobre "Derecho climático y la gobernanza en el Hemisferio Sur", co-organizado por el CDIDS en el marco de la COP17.
Esta Serie de Documentos de Trabajo se suma al trabajo reciente de investigadores del CDIDS, abordando las cuestiones clave en el contexto de las negociaciones de la COP17. Por favor, pinche los enlaces de los títulos a continuación para acceder a los documentos:
Eventos de Derecho Climático y Gobernanza del CDIDS en la COP17
Mon, 12 Dec 2011
El CDIDS, en colaboración con la Organización Internacional de Derecho del Desarrollo (OIDD), el Colegio de Abogados de Sudáfrica, Warburton Abogados, Especialistas en Sostenibilidad, y otros socios y patrocinadores, han organizado una serie de eventos en el marco de la UNFCCC COP 17, que se realiza en Durban, Sudáfrica, del 28 noviembre al 9 diciembre 2011.
En el marco de la COP17, el CDIDS co-organizó una conferencia internacional de dos días, el 3 y 4 de diciembre, sobre el tema del Derecho Climático y Gobernanza en el Hemisferio Sur. El objetivo de la conferencia fue catalizar el pensamiento jurídico sobre el cambio climático y sus implicaciones para el desarrollo de leyes e instituciones de los países en desarrollo, y promover el diálogo Sur-Sur y el intercambio de mejores prácticas legales. La conferencia superó todas las expectativas en cuanto a la calidad de las conferencias magistrales, paneles y talleres, cantidad de público y comprometidos, así como los fructíferos intercambios, el diálogo y el debate que se llevará a cabo más allá de este evento. En el marco de la COP17, la conferencia contribuyó a catalizar, el pensamiento inspirador y estimulante e iniciativas relacionadas con el Derecho Climático y Gobernanza en los países del sur. Más de 200 participantes asistieron al evento, incluyendo a los delegados a la COP17 de la CMNUCC, así como miembros de la comunidad legal del Sudáfrica. La inscripción para la conferencia fue abierta a todos y de forma gratuita.
La conferencia fue presidida por la Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Directora Senior del CDIDS y Jefa del programa de la OIDD Crecimiento Económico y Comercio, y el Sr. Andrew Gilder, Miembro del Equipo de Investigaciones Jurídicas del CDIDS y Director de Cambio Climático y Derecho del Mercado de Carbono, de Abogados Warburton. Entre los principales oradores estuvieron la Sra. Amina Mohamed, Directora Ejecutiva Adjunta del PNUMA, Sr. Yannick Glemarec, Director de Finanzas del Clima en el PNUD, el Sr. Ricardo Meléndez-Ortiz, Director Ejecutivo del ICTSD, y el Prof. Carlos E. di Leva, Abogado Jefe de la Unidad de Derecho Ambiental Internacional del Banco Mundial. Las actas de la conferencia, incluyendo un informe de la conferencia, las imágenes y las presentaciones en Power Point estarán disponibles en la página web del congreso después de la COP17, en http://cisdl.org/ICCLGGS/.
El CDIDS también co-organizó una recepción de alto nivel para poner en marcha algunas de sus publicaciones más recientes sobre el derecho climático en la evolución del clima compatible, elaborado por la Red de Conocimientos para el Clima y el Desarrollo, en colaboración con la OIDD y varios socios locales. Estos documentos de política ayudan a extraer conocimientos más recientes sobre el cambio climático y los temas clave de desarrollo, y analizar las lecciones aprendidas de estudios de caso de la planificación del desarrollo del clima compatible y la práctica en África, Asia y el Pacífico, América Latina y el Caribe. La recepción ofreció discursos de Su Excelencia Mary Robinson, Presidenta de Honor de Oxfam Internacional, el presidente de la Fundación Mary Robinson - Justicia Climática, y ex Presidente de Irlanda, así como el Sr. Kumi Naidoo, Director Ejecutivo de Greenpeace Internacional.
El CDIDS fue anfitrión, el 6 de diciembre, un taller en el Centro Internacional para el Comercio y el Desarrollo Sostenible, organizado en el marco de la COP17 de Durban. El taller se centró en los aspectos legales de la transición a una economía verde, e incluyó discusiones sobre el derecho de inversiones internacionales, los acuerdos comerciales regionales, los derechos humanos en la economía verde y los mecanismos de REDD+. El taller contó con un debate comprometido y el intercambio de ideas entre los panelistas y el público.
Por último, CDIDS está co-organizando, junto con la OIDD, la FAO y la ONU-REDD, un evento paralelo oficial a la COP17, el 8 de diciembre, de 18.30 a 20.00 horas, en la sala Blyde River. El evento paralelo se centrará en la preparación jurídica para la evolución del clima compatible: Protección del REDD+. Los principales expertos de países, junto con la OIDD, CDIDS, la FAO y otras personas involucradas en el Programa REDD de la ONU, hablará de la preparación jurídica para el desarrollo del clima compatible, centrados en los retos y las innovaciones en la aplicación de fondos para el clima REDD + y otros.
Un resumen de los eventos del CDIDS está disponible aquí.
CDIDS Organiza Mesa Redonda sobre el Empoderamiento Legal de los Pobres
Sat, 3 Dec 2011
El lunes 21 de noviembre de 2011, el CDIDS, en colaboración con la Oficina del Alto Comisionado para Asuntos Jurídico Federales de Canadá, organizó una Mesa Redonda Judicial sobre el tema "Escuchando a los sin voz: Innovaciones de los tribunales nacionales e internacionales". La mesa redonda se centró en innovadores enfoques judiciales para el Empoderamiento Legal de los Pobres (ELP).
"A más de 4 millones de personas se les roba la oportunidad de mejorar sus vidas y salir de la pobreza, porque están excluidas del Estado de derecho". El ELP, conceptualizado a grandes rasgos en términos de acceso a la justicia, los derechos de propiedad, los derechos laborales y de los derechos económicos, se propone brindar la oportunidad para los que viven en la pobreza mejoren sus condiciones y se aseguren medios de vida más sostenibles. En esta Mesa de Diálogo participan miembros de la judicatura, de Ghana, Jamaica, Perú y Canadá, los administradores judiciales, expertos legales, académicos, organizaciones de la sociedad civil y estudiantes en una discusión abierta sobre cómo los sistemas judiciales pueden contribuir al ELP. La mesa redonda fue presidida por la honorable presidenta del Tribunal Supremo de Quebec, Nicole Duval-Hesler. La discusión se centró específicamente en cómo el ELP puede contribuir al empoderamiento de los grupos más marginados y sin voz en el ámbito judicial interno y también internacional. Las áreas de discusión incluyeron el medio ambiente, los pueblos indígenas y las comunidades de inmigrantes. El debate puso de relieve los principales retos y obstáculos, así como el progreso local y global y las innovaciones en el contexto judicial. Como se destaca en el informe de la Comisión ELP, el ELP es una visión audaz y su aplicación constituye un reto considerable. En general, el ELP requiere un nuevo enfoque para la erradicación de la pobreza, hacia el respeto de los derechos humanos y el desarrollo sostenible.
La mesa redonda comenzó con presentaciones de expertos como el Sr. Sébastien Jodoin ("Aprendizaje, Cambio y Empoderamiento Legal Social: Una mirada a las innovaciones jurídicas en la gestión ambiental"), el Prof. Konstantia Koutouki y la Sra. Cassandra Porter ("Empoderamiento Legal de los Pobres y las Voces Indígenas"), y del Sr. Patrick Reynaud ("Empoderamiento Legal de las Cortes y Tribunales Internacionales"). Un documento del debate con un resumen de estas presentaciones se encuentra disponible aqui
CDIDS & OIDD lanzan Contribución para las Deliberaciones de Río+20
Tue, 8 Nov 2011
El 1 de noviembre de 2011, el Derecho Internacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible (DIDS), Asociación encabezada por el Centro de Derecho Internacional del Desarrollo Sostenible (CDIDS) y la Organización Internacional de Derecho del Desarrollo (OIDD) lanzaron su contribución para las deliberaciones de la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible (conocida también como Río+20). El aporte de este documento compilatorio fue el resultado de un amplio proceso de consulta y discusiones entre los socios de DIDS, el que incluyó un seminario realizado en la OIDD, en Roma, en junio de 2011.
El objetivo de esta nota es entregar una guía para los Estados Miembros y otros interesados, y responde a la invitación del Segundo Comité Preparatorio de la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible para ofrecer aportes y contribuciones por escrito para ser incluidas en un documento compilatorio que sirva de base para la preparación de un borrador de un nuevo documento de resultados de la conferencia. La petición anterior fue transmitida por los moderadores de la oficina de la conferencia.
De acuerdo con su mandato y las discusiones, la asociación de DIDS se enfocó en el rol del derecho internacional para potenciar el desarrollo sostenible. La meta de la asociación de DIDS es fortalecer la gobernabilidad del desarrollo sostenible a niveles internacionales, regionales y nacionales, permitiendo las bases de una implementación de políticas a través de facilitar el acceso a un derecho ambiental, social y económico integrado, en conformidad con un cumplimiento coherente.
Una versión completa de esta contribución está disponible aquí.
El siguiente es un resumen de las recomendaciones clave incluidas en los documentos:
La Asociación de Derecho Internacional para el Desarrollo Sostenible recomienda a los Estados convocados a la Conferencia de Naciones sobre Desarrollo Sostenible:
- Reconocer el desarrollo sostenible como un objetivo central del derecho internacional;
- Comprometerse a un esfuerzo significativo para resolver conflictos entre obligaciones de desarrollo sostenible contempladas por el derecho internacional y otras obligaciones legales internacionales o locales. La Asociación de DIDS ve a la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible como una oportunidad para poner atención y dialogar en este creciente tema;
- Enfatizar y clarificar la importancia y el rol del derecho internacional como una herramienta para cimentar los pilares del desarrollo sostenible, y especialmente reconocer y validar el creciente rol del desarrollo sostenible en el derecho internacional de tratados, el derecho consuetudinario y las decisiones de las cortes y tribunales internacionales;
- Destacar la importancia de la legislación interna innovadora, integrada y coordinada y la reforma de políticas e iniciativas “verde” en los sectores clave de la economía identificados en el Informe de Economía Verde del PNUMA 2011;
- Reconocer y promover el papel del derecho internacional en la transición a una economía verde en el contexto de la erradicación de la pobreza, y en concreto el papel fundamental desempeñado por los acuerdos ambientales multilaterales, el comercio internacional de inversión, y el derecho financiero, así como los derechos humanos y las iniciativas de empoderamiento legal;
- Enfatizar la importancia de racionalizar el desarrollo sostenible en todos los niveles de las instituciones y gobernanza nacionales, con el fin de efectivamente llegar a los sectores clave identificados en el Informe de Economía Verde 2011 del PNUMA, que a menudo dependen de los distintos niveles de gobierno;
- Promover la importancia del empoderamiento legal y el acceso a la justicia a niveles institucionales internos de desarrollo sostenible;
- Mandatar a la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas sobre el Desarrollo Sostenible u otro organismo para llevar a cabo una revisión exhaustiva de la estructura institucional internacional para el desarrollo sostenible, que ha crecido en tamaño y complejidad en las últimas dos décadas;
- Establecer un panel de expertos internacionales para examinar el avance del derecho internacional sobre el desarrollo sostenible en los últimos 20 años, especialmente en los tratados y en las cortes y tribunales internacionales. Este panel podría producir un informe completo, así como una guía práctica legal para la toma de decisiones.
CDIDS lanza Informe sobre Consulta Ciudadana en Quebec para la Conferencia de Río+20
Sun, 30 Oct 2011
El 21 de septiembre de 2011, el Centro de Derecho Internacional del Desarrollo Sostenible (CDIDS), la Red Ambiental Canadiense y la Oficina Regional para América del Norte del Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente realizaron una consulta ciudadana en Quebec sobre la Conferencia de Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Sostenible de 2012 (conocida como Río+20).
El objetivo de esta consulta, realizada en Montreal, fue doble: informar a los participantes sobre la Conferencia Río+20 y las oportunidades que otorga, e invitar a compartir opiniones y experiencias sobre temas clave y resultados posibles de la Conferencia Río+20. Específicamente, la consulta apuntó a recopilar ideas y recomendaciones de los participantes sobre los dos temas principales de la conferencia: una economía verde en el contexto de la erradicación de la pobreza y el marco institucional para el desarrollo sostenible.
La consulta favoreció la participación de más de 35 expertos de una variedad de orígenes, incluidos académicos, sociedad civil, el sector público y privado y representantes de la Red Ambiental Canadiense y del Programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente. Este informe presenta un breve resumen de las principales recomendaciones consensuadas por los participantes de esta consulta. El informe no atribuye ninguna opinión particular a algún participante específico y las conclusiones no representan necesariamente la opinión de todos los participantes.
El Informe
El CISDL lamenta el fallecimiento del 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
Invitación a postular: Grupo de Investigación Jurídica de CISDL/IDLO
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.
Invitación abierta: Conferencia Internacional sobre Derecho Climático y Gobernanza en el Hemisferio Sur de la COP17
Mon, 22 Aug 2011
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:
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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.
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.
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.
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:
- Freya Baetens, Foreign Investment Law and Climate Change: Legal Conflicts Arising from Implementing the Kyoto Protocol through Private Investment.
- Sébastien Jodoin, Rights-Based Framework for Climate Finance.
- Sarah A. Mason-Case and Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, International Law and Climate Finance.
- Benoît Mayer, International Law and Climate migrants.
- Frederic Perron-Welch, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation: Mexico’s Solution for Offsetting Emissions while Respecting Indigenous and Local Community Rights.
- Josh Roberts, Linking Climate Change with Biodiversity-Related Multilateral Environmental Agreements.
- Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger and Markus Gehring, Trade and Investment Implication of Carbon Trading for Sustainable Development.
- Sean Stephenson, Making Jobs Work: The Right to Work, Jobs and Green Structural Change.
- Dr. Charlotte Streck, How Climate Change can Catalyze Sustainable Land-Management.
- Verki Michael Tunteng, Legal Aspects of Climate Change Policy.
- Patricia Parkinson and Dr. Andrew Wardell, Legal Frameworks to Support REDD Pro-Poor Outcomes.