IUCN Environmental Policy and Law Paper

The entry into force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture marks the commitment of the world community to a freestanding convention directed at addressing both global needs for food security and internationally agreed objectives regarding the concepts of "access and benefit-sharing" found in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

An analysis is provided of the most relevant provisions on freshwater ecosystems conservation, present in international treaties, and bilateral and multilateral agreements relating to rivers and lakes. Included also an analysis of relevant European Union legislation.

The African Convention on the conservation of nature and natural resources was adopted in 1968 in Algiers. Considered the most forward looking regional agreement of the time, it influenced significantly the development of environmental law in Africa. Two and a half decades of intense developments in international environmental law made it necessary to revise this treaty, update its provisions and enlarge its scope.

The book aims to address the lack of information on the experiences of others by providing a comparative analysis of national access and benefit-sharing laws and policies in the 41 Pacific Rim countries that signed the CBD. It provides key insights on the main characteristics of selected access and benefit-sharing (ABS) policies and laws, their development, and implementation process. It contains a detailed comparative analysis of existing laws and policies.

This book contains a selection of papers on various legal issues of interest to developing countries which have been prepared by Fellows from InWent who came to Germany between 2002 and 2004 from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to research and write about subjects of their choice at the IUCN Environmental Law Centre

The workshop was organised to improve the understanding of the dialectic between water-related infrastructures and institutional frameworks in West Africa.

Formally acknowledging water as a human right could encourage the international community and governments to enhance their efforts to satisfy basic human needs and to meet the Millennium Development Goals. But critical questions arise in relation to a right to water. What would be the benefits and content of such a right? What mechanisms would be required for its effective implementation?

The Draft Covenant is a blueprint for an international framework (or umbrella) agreement consolidating and developing existing legal principles related to environment and development. Since the publication of the second edition in 2000, there have been important developments in the field of international environmental law.

With ‘good governance’ firmly entrenched on the international agenda, this publication analyses the trends affecting protected area governance at the international level, and goes on to explore emerging issues concerning certification, standards, partnerships and funding mechanisms.

This guide has been prepared by the IUCN Environmental Law Programme and the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD), in cooperation with the World Resources Institute (WRI).