Call for Conference Papers: Biodiversity, Sustainable Development & the Law
St. John’s College Divinity School, Cambridge, UK
20-22 February, 2015
The Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (CISDL), in a cooperative partnership with the University of Cambridge Centre for Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Governance (C-EENRG) and Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (LCIL), the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), among other partners, is delighted to announce this Call for Papers for the international conference Biodiversity, Sustainable Development and the Law, to be held at the University of Cambridge, UK, on 20-22 February 2015. Legal experts and researchers from law and biodiversity-related fields are invited to submit abstracts with their ideas for a paper by 20 December 2014.
In the 21st century, the scope of biodiversity degradation and loss has reached alarming levels, and the possibilities to achieve sustainable development goals appear terribly remote. Consistent with the growing complexity of international law as a whole, many international treaties and organizations are struggling valiantly to reverse current trends. International treaties on the environment and sustainable development, including the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), CITES, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and others, can make an important difference. In pursuing this mission, however, international law and governance face many practical challenges, with space for increased support and engagement from the international research and academic community, leading countries and firms, and civil society on many levels. This international conference gathers leaders working to secure biodiversity, sustainable development and the law, to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and develop diverse solutions to common problems.
The Conference Committee invites abstracts for papers on the following topics:
- Governing the interface of science, policy and the law
- Managing protected areas, sustainable landscapes and community livelihoods
- Promoting trade, investments and financial incentives
- Regulating biodiversity products along complex value chains
- New trends in transparency, rules of procedure and dispute settlement
- Innovative implementation and compliance on regional, national and local levels
- Law of international organizations and biodiversity treaties
The conference will be also include an Experts Seminar on CITES as a Tool for Sustainable Development, Keynote Lectures, and an International Dinner Event in a historic college of Cambridge, with before-dinner drinks. A registration fee of £20 (exclusive of the conference dinner) will be payable for the weekend of the conference to cover lunches, hospitality and materials, with waivers for student volunteers.