Bangkok, 14 January 2007 – Judges, prosecutors and legal practitioners from about 40 countries in the Asia Pacific region will meet for the first time 14-16 January, 2008 to look at environmental justice and enforcement in the region. The Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Environmental Justice and Enforcement is the largest gathering of judges, prosecutors and advocates since 2002, when UNEP organized the Global Judges Symposium in Johannesburg.

More than 80 participants will take part in the conference, which is aimed at strengthening the role of judges and legal practitioners in environmental governance, enforcement and the rule of law.

“Judges and legal practitioners play a crucial role in protecting the environment which is a fundamental basis for improving human-wellbeing of the present and future generations. Judges, who uphold the rule of law, have to balance environmental, social and development consideration in their deliberations and decisions. Legal practitioners also play an important role in enforcement of environmental law,” said Masa Nagai, Senior Legal Officer, Division of Environmental Law and Conventions, UNEP.

The Conference, based on the theme, “Mainstreaming the Environment in the Judiciary and Enforcement”, provides a forum for judges, prosecutors and advocates to exchange information on the role of the judiciary in compliance and enforcement of environmental law, including multilateral environmental agreements and legal/judicial systems in countries.

 “The Conference will provide an opportunity for participants to hear and learn about innovative approaches to environmental jurisprudence in dealing with environmental challenges, including climate change,” said Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

He added that the region leads in the establishment of environmental courts and tribunals, and that this ‘greening’ of the judiciary is growing.

Environmental courts, green benches or environmental tribunals have been established in some countries in the region, including Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Thailand, India and Pakistan, while others are considering greening their judiciary.

The conference will also look at emerging trends in environmental jurisprudence and enforcement of environmental laws, the role of other legal stakeholders to prevent and mitigate environmental damage, global environmental objectives and national legal responses, the interface between international policy and legal frameworks and national legal systems, and ways to strengthen environmental justice to deal with major environmental issues and challenges including climate change. In addition, participants will also share experiences in ensuring access to judicial and administrative proceedings, including redress and remedy as well as innovative approaches and assessment of strengths and weaknesses of existing national legal systems to address environmental issues of international concerns.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Satwant Kaur, Regional Information Officer, UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Tel: 02 2882127; Mobile: 0839086000. E-mail: kaur@un.org

NOTES TO EDITORS:

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME (UNEP)
UNEP is the United Nations system’s designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action.

UNEP ROAP News Release 08/1