What's New
CISDL hosts its Annual Research Meeting
Tue, 8 May 2012
The CISDL Annual Research Meeting will take place at McGill University in Montreal (Bioethics Building - 3647 Peel Street), on Saturday May 12 and Sunday, May 13, 2012.
CISDL will be discussing its plans for the next 10 years of CISDL's 'sustainable' development, together with a short conversation about its roles in the UNFCCC, the UN CBD, the WTO and other treaty processes. This will be followed by a special Reception and Dinner Event with members of our Board of Governors. The second day will start with the presentation of the Director’s Report, and the Narrative and the Financial Annual Report from the CISDL Secretariat. Progress reports from the different programs, will then be presented followed by a parallel project meetings on new funded initiatives, such as the Central America SD laws governing clean energy project, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets project, also work on Citizen Participation Mechanisms, and on Climate Measures in Regional Trade Agreements will be covered, along with a few new books the CUP Series. The Annual Research meeting will conclude with the Draft Research Plan, the 2012-2013 Calendar of Activities (including plans for Rio+20), the Publication Plans and the Policy Decisions.
Please RSVP with CISDL Outreach Officer Daniel Alvarez, dalvarez@cisdl.org
CISDL workshop on Legal Preparedness for the Global Green Economy
Wed, 2 May 2012
“Legal Preparedness for the Global Green Economy”
Building an Innovative, Independent & Interdisciplinary International Research Agenda
8:30am - 6:00pm / 11-12 May 2012
University of Ottawa / Faculty of Law
This event is organized by the Jean Monnet Chair at the Civil Law Section, University of Ottawa, in collaboration with CISDL, IDLO.
In preparation for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UN CSD), where countries will report their progress in developing policies and laws for the green economy, this workshop wants to bring together leading academics and graduate students from various disciplines (law, economics, environment and development studies) as well as policy-makers and treaty negotiators, to share research findings, set a new legal research agenda and develop new collaborative projects.
With contributions inter alia from Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger (CISDL/IDLO), Andrew Newcombe (UVic), Armand De Mestral (McGill), Stewart Elgie (Ottawa), Corinne Gendron (UQAM), Jamie Benidickson (Ottawa), Ashfaq Khalfan (CISDL), Maya Prabhu (Yale), Nathalie Chalifour (Ottawa), Carmen Gonzales (Seattle), Markus Gehring (Ottawa/Cambridge), Jon Tunnicliffe (Carlton), Scott Vaughan (Sustainable Development Commissioner), Amelia Clarke (Waterloo), Jorge Vinuales (HEI Geneva), Sebastien Jodoin (Yale/CISDL).
Attendance to the event is by reservation only. If you would like to attend, please email your interest to Ms. Eleonora Eusepi (eeusepi@cisdl.org).
For more information, please follow this link for the pdf version of the poster.
International Seminar in Chile: sustainable energy and the regulation of natural resources
Mon, 23 Apr 2012
CISDL is proud to announce its partnership to an international seminar in Chile. Taking place on the 25th and 26th of April and hosted by the faculties of law of Pontificia Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile, the seminar will cover the topics of sustainable energy and the regulations of natural resources. CISDL Senior Director Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger will deliver a presentation entitled '' International Law, climate change and sustainable development in a low-carbon economy'', with CISDL Lead Counsel and U. De Chile Prof. Valentina Durán, in the '' 'Renewable and non conventional energies' panel.
Prof. Redgwell from the University College London, Prof. Del Guayo from the University of Almeria, Prof. Godden from the University of Melbourne, Prof. Roggenkamp from the University of Groningen, Prof. Barton from the University of Waikato, Prof. Ronne from the University of Copenhagen, Prof. Gonzalez from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Prof. Lucas from the University of Calgary, Prof. Omorogbe from the Ibadan University and prof. Smith from the University of Denver will be speaking at this event.
To attend this event, please register at http://web.derecho.uchile.cl/fundacion/fundacion_9/inscripcion2.php. For more information, please call (562) 978 53 54 or email dvargas@derecho.uchile.cl
CISDL Policy Briefs on Climate Compatible Development
Sat, 17 Mar 2012
CISDL, in partnership with the Climate & Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO) and a consortium of partners is pleased to publish three policy briefs on Climate Compatible Development.
Climate compatible development is development that minimizes the harm caused by climate impacts, while maximizing the many human development opportunities presented by a low-emissions, more resilient future. Climate change and its responses create new development challenges and opportunities for decision-makers in developing countries to facilitate and sustain economic growth and social development based on low-emission pathways in the face of threats and uncertainties. These policy briefs analyse success stories in Climate Compatible Development in a range of developing country contexts.
The policy briefs aim at providing examples of best practices to decision makers in government, business and civil society. They focus on leading innovations in integrating climate change planning with economic growth strategies and poverty reduction. They also aim at addressing the biggest challenges faced along the way, whether institutional, financial, political or technical.
The policy briefs can be accessed below:
Transforming India into a Solar Power
Climate compatible development at the regional level in Mexico: The Yucatan Peninsula Accord
Working together for REDD+: Developing a national readiness strategy in Tanzania
Building the Capacity to Better Manage Environmentally Induced Migration in Bangladesh
Sat, 25 Feb 2012
The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Institute of Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) organized a Writeshop sponsored by Global Neway on “Building the capacity to better manage Environmentally Induced Migration In Bangladesh” from the 20th – 24th February, 2012 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, followed by a Public Panel, on the 24th February. Different events took place through the duration of the event at ULAB campus and Alliance Francaise Dhaka.
This Writeshop brought originality by its new concept of collective discussion and intense writing, supported the network by hosting national and international experts, both junior and seniors, from the North and the South (Europe and Asia) who have carried out different researches facilitating the debate on environmental migration from different points of view and expertise. Researchers, such as Dr François Gemmene, Dr Jackson Ewing or Dr Rathana Peou Van Den Heuvel, from social, environmental, political sciences (CSD, IDDRI) and legal disciplines (CISDL, RSC) participated in fulfilling the objective that is to provide a clear set of typologies and scenarios of environmentally induced migrations in the context of Bangladesh.
The writeshop was arranged in four thematic sessions: Disaster Risk Reduction, Peri-urban and urban Planning, Human Rights and Security, Inclusiveness such as gender, poor, aged and minorities. It identified institutional and normative frameworks at the domestic, local, regional and international level, design integrative strategies and provide evidence-based policy recommendations to Bangladeshi and international decision-makers toward a better integration of normative responses to environmentally-induced migration.
The issue of environmentally-induced migration is likely to be one of the most critical issues for Bangladesh, where Climate Change will exacerbate the exposure of populations to natural hazards and will lead to an estimated 26 million of forced migrations by 2050, according to the United Nations. Characterized by flooding, windstorms, mudslides, salinization of groundwater and soil as well as desertification, natural disasters will particularly damage small islands and coastal states such as Bangladesh. This environmental determinism will be confronted by different panels that will aim at bringing empirical research in the frontline of the debate.
For more information on the CISDL Environmental Migrations project, please contact CISDL Associate Fellow Benoit Mayer (bmayer@cisdl.org).
Open invitation - Roundtable on 'Towards Rio+20: Green Economy and Sustainable Development Law'
Thu, 16 Feb 2012
Towards Rio+20: Green Economy and Sustainable Development Law
Conference organized by the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law
February 29th, 2012 – 4H00 PM to 5H30PM
Université de Montréal, Faculty of Law, Pavilion Maximilien Caron
3101 Chemin de la Tour, Montréal
Professor’s Lounge, A-3464
Conference open to the public, limited seating.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) was organized in order to evaluate where we are standing with regards to the concept and the implementation of « sustainable development ». Governments of 195 countries as well as national and supranational organizations will meet to discuss the future of sustainable development in the context of green economy and poverty eradication, by trying to elaborate a concrete action plan for the future.
This expert round table, organized by the CISDL, aims at evaluating and exploring the legal and economic aspects of sustainable development and the transition to the green economy in the context of the preparation to Rio+20.
Host
Dr. Konstantia Koutouki, Lead Counsel of the Natural Resources Team at the CISDL and professor at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Law.
Speakers
Luc Bres, Ph. D candidate.
Prof. Geneviève Dufour, Professor at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Law.
Prof. Corinne Gendron, Professor and Chair of Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development at UQAM.
Prof. Hervé Prince, Professor at the Université de Montréal Faculty of Law and member of the Centre d'études en droit économique (CÉDÉ).
For more information or to confirm your presence, please contact Miss Eleonora Eusepi (eeusepi@cisdl.org).
CISDL Academic Workshop on Trade Law for the Low-Carbon Economy
Thu, 2 Feb 2012
OPEN INVITATION - Academic Workshop
Trade Law for the Low-Carbon Economy:
New means to promote trade in climate-friendly goods and services after the Durban COP 17
Tuesday / 4pm - 6pm / 07 February, 2012
Old Library, Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL), Cambridge University
5 Cranmer Road, Cambridge, UK
The intersections of trade law and law on climate change are a subject of legal and scholarly debate. Recent studies have found that sustainable trade policies can be used to foster sustainable development practices, removing trade barriers set on sustainable goods while creating new employment. In the context of fascinating debates in the UN FCCC Durban COP 17, and important new WTO cases on these issues, LCIL, IDLO, ICTSD and the CISDL are hosting an Academic Workshop on Trade Law for the Low-Carbon Economy: New Means to Promote Trade in Climate-Friendly Goods and Services.
Expert Panelists:
- Ricardo Méléndez-Ortiz, ICTSD, Keynote Speaker
- Dr. Joanna Gomula, LCIL, Discussant
- Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, IDLO, CISDL & LCIL, Discussant
Space is limited.
RSVP to mwg24@cam.ac.uk, copied to mccs2@cam.ac.uk
Call for papers: Environmental Migration Law Working Paper Series
Tue, 24 Jan 2012
The Center for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL) is calling for papers featuring cutting edge research on sustainable development law for environmental migration. The CISDL aims to encourage new and rigorous scholarship of compelling interest to scholars and policy-makers active in relevant fields. Contributions should focus on the law and governance aspects of environmental migration. The accepted contributions will be posted on the CISDL website and distributed at different academic events organized or co-organized by the CISDL. For researchers, it is also a unique opportunity to get involved in the CISDL program on environmental migration, which is organized in partnership with the University of Liberal Arts – Bangladesh and Sciences Po’s Institut du Développement Durable et des Relations Internationales (IDDRI), with the participation of the Oxford Refugee Studies Center.
The displacement of individuals triggered by environmental factors (for instance in the context of natural disasters, desertification, sea level rise or conflicts on resources) has been a growing concern in different spheres of laws and policies (e.g. migration, environment and security). Although important legal studies have been done over the last years, environmental migration has often been approached from the sole perspective of international human rights law or refugee law. In contrast, the CISDL program calls for a comprehensive approach of environmental migration grounded in the notion of a sustainable development law. Contributors are particularly encouraged to contribute to overcome the inter- and intra-disciplinary divides in the studies of environmental migration.
For example, potential contributors have shown interest in writing on the following topics:
- Environmental migrants as internally displaced persons: assessing the application of the Guiding Principles and beyond.
- Transmigration in Indonesia: a reflection on the governance of environmental migration.
- Addressing environmental migration in the light of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
- Environmental migration under the framework of sustainable development law.
- Environmental migration and participation rights.
All contributors are invited to send an abstract (250 words) and a short biography (150 words – not necessary for CISDL members), preferably before 31 January 2012, at the program coordinator, Mr. Benoît Mayer: bmayer@nus.edu.sg . Potential contributors may also consult with him to identify a topic. The submissions will be considered on a rolling basis. For confirmed contributors, papers will normally be due not later than 15 June 2012, although extensions may be negotiated. For reference, authors are encouraged to write not less than 7,500 words and not more than 12,500 words, to include sufficient but reasonable amount of references to support their argument, and to use a systematic style (for instance the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation). Papers can be submitted in English or in French. Working papers will be reviewed and suggestions for improvement will be communicated to the authors; the final versions, after peer-review and improvement, are expected to be collected by 30 September 2011.
Climate Change and International Law: Recent Developments and Perspectives for the Future
Thu, 5 Jan 2012
CISDL is very pleased to host to a working luncheon and dialogue on Climate Change and International Law: Recent Developments and Perspectives for the Future. This Roundtable will focus on recent legal developments arising from the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa. The Roundtable will take place on Thursday, January 5th 2012, from 12h00PM to 3h00PM, at the University Club of Montreal 2047 Mansfield, Montreal. This discussion will be facilitated by a panel of international experts in the field of climate change, all of who attended the Conference in Durban. The discussion will focus on the practical outcomes of the conference, as well as the future prospects of international climate change law.
The discussion will concentrate on the outcomes of the conference in terms of significant developments for international and domestic law, focusing on such areas as climate finance, REDD+, human rights, climate migrations and international climate change governance.
Panellists: Prof. Richard Janda, McGill University (Chair) Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, Senior Director, CISDL & Head, Economic Growth & Trade, International Development Law Organisation. Mr. Alberto Sandoval, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Prof. Markus Gehring, University of Ottawa Mr. Sébastien Jodoin, Lead Counsel for Climate Change, CISDL Ms. Sarah Mason-Case, Associate Fellow, CISDL & Legal Specialist, International Development Law Organisation.
The new CISDL Working Paper Series on climate change, available at www.cisdl.org, will also be launched at the roundtable. This series of 5 papers contributed by members of the CISDL focuses on cutting edge issues with regard to international climate change law.