Sustainable Use of Wetlands and Water Conventions: Contributions of International Water Treaties to the SDGs
Ramsar CoP12 Side-Event
As the international community works to finalize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is imperative to consider how legal measures developed under parallel processes and complementary treaty regimes can support the implementation of the SDGs on water and wetlands. As decision-makers, experts, professionals and civil society leaders, you are invited to join an International Roundtable at CoP12 of the Ramsar Convention to share knowledge and set the new agenda for synergies among international water treaties to support achievement of the ambitious SDGs on water and wetlands.
This roundtable will bring decision-makers and policy specialists from key countries, specialized UN agencies and international organizations, indigenous and local communities and legal experts and practitioners to help define the contribution of international law towards the post-2015 development agenda for water. In this roundtable, participants will help to define a complementary new law, governance and research agenda for the world’s international water regime, setting new priorities for the achievement of the SDGs.
Objectives
- Highlight synergies, interfaces and common principles among the New York, Helsinki and Ramsar Conventions on water and wetlands
- Identify alignments and contributions of the international water regime to the achievement of SDG 6 and other relevant SDGs
- Develop new law and governance research priorities, proposals and partnerships
On Saturday 6 June 2015 at 13:15 in Punta del Este Room B, after an opening address and a senior experts panel on new trends in international water regimes, please join this roundtable discussion to share leading national experiences and build new partnerships.
Opening Address: Dr. AniaGrobicki, Deputy Secretary General, RamsarConvention Secretariat.
Chair: Dr. SibylleVermont, Deputy Head of Global Affairs, International Affairs Division Federal Office for the Environment of Switzerland
International Experts Panel
Moderator: Dr. Marie Claire CordonierSegger, Senior Legal Advisor, RamsarConvention / Senior Director, CISDL & Fellow, LCIL, University of Cambridge
Presentation: Mr. Freedom-Kai Phillips, Legal Research Fellow, Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL)
Expert Discussants:
Prof. Royal Gardner, Chair, RamsarConvention Scientific and Technical Review Panel (STRP) / Professor, Stetson University College of Law
Prof. Maria LeichnerReynal, Executive Director, FundaciónEcos& Founder, ECCOSUR
Prof. Patricia Farnese, Professor, University of Saskatchewan College of Law
International Roundtable:
Highlights of Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Implementing the Water and Wetlands Conventions from Leading Countries of Europe, Asia -Pacific, Africa, the Americas