Fwd: biodiversity-l digest: November 19, 2014

BIODIVERSITY-L Digest for Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

1. CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS: Biodiversity, Sustainable Development & The Law
2. BENELEX Newsletter No. 3
3. Biodiversity Update - 19 November 2014 - Biodiversity Policy & Practice


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: conference@cisdl.org
To: 
Cc: 
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:46:08 -0700
Subject: CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS: Biodiversity, Sustainable Development & The Law
CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS

BIODIVERSITY, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT & THE LAW
St. John's College Divinity School, Cambridge, UK
20-22 February, 2015

Are you an expert, policy-maker, professional or scholar working on law and policy aspects of biodiversity, protected species and sustainable development?

Would you contribute a paper to a world-class international conference on key challenges and innovative legal solutions for the implementation of international treaties on biodiversity, species at risk, forests and wetlands?

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 Biological Diversity (CBD), 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.

Interested presenters should email Conference Coordinators at conference@cisdl.org, with a short (e.g. 200-word) abstract of their paper explaining how it relates to one of the listed topics, and a 100-word biography, by 20 December 2014.

Those interested in advance registration for the conference, or in assisting in conference outreach, should email the Conference Coordinators at conference@cisdl.org by 10 January 2015. Numbers are limited, so early registration is preferable to avoid disappointment.

Please find the supporting documentation here (http://cisdl.org/public/docs/Biodiversity_Sustainable_Development_and_the_Law_-_Call_for_Conference_Papers_by_20_Dec_2014_-_Event_in_Cambridge_UK_20-22_Feb_2015.pdf). This call for papers is also available on our website (http://cisdl.org/whats-new.html#call-for-conference-papers-on-biodiversity-sustainable-development-the-law).


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: annalisa.savaresi@gmail.com
To: 
Cc: 
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 05:49:57 -0600
Subject: BENELEX Newsletter No. 3
BENELEX Newsletter No. 3


** Welcome to the third edition of the BENELEX Newsletter!
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These short circulars are intended to update mailing list subscribers on the BENELEX project's activities, upcoming events and publications. Please forward this Newsletter to anyone who you think would be interested in BENELEX and encourage them to sign up to our mailing list by emailing benelex@ed.ac.uk (mailto:benelex@ed.ac.uk) !


** BENELEX Newsletter 3
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SUMMARY
* Publications
* Activities
* Outreach
* Upcoming Events

PUBLICATIONS

The BENELEX team has released a first series of Working Papers on the project's preliminary findings through the Social Science Research Network.

Working Paper #1: Conceptualizing Benefit-Sharing as the Pursuit of Equity in Addressing Global Environmental Challenges  by Elisa Morgera

This paper develops a conceptual framework for the analysis of benefit-sharing in light of its gradual development in international law as a basis for more detailed legal analysis in the areas of international biodiversity, climate change, human rights, oceans, food, agriculture and land law. Read more (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2524003)

Working Paper #2: An Inter-Disciplinary Methodology for Researching Benefit-Sharing as a Norm Diffusing in Global Environmental Law by Louisa Parks and Elisa Morgera

This paper proposes a methodology for an interdisciplinary, empirical enquiry into the diffusion of the legal concept of 'benefit-sharing' integrating law, sociology and international relations for the understanding of benefit-sharing in "global" environmental law (that is, at various, mutually influencing levels of regulation). Read more (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2524333)

Working Paper #3: The Emergence of Benefit-Sharing Under the Climate Regime: A Preliminary Exploration and Research Agenda  by Annalisa Savaresi

This paper analyzes the increasing currency of benefit-sharing in the climate regime and its potential to contribute to engendering greater equity in climate governance, articulating a series of research questions for further investigation. Read more (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2524335)

Working Paper #4: Exploring Benefit-Sharing from the Lab to the Land (Part I): Agricultural Research and Development in the Context of Conservation and Sustainable Use by Elsa Tsioumani

This paper seeks to map, interpret and analyze the use of the legal concept of fair and equitable benefit-sharing in the governance of land, food and agriculture, with the ultimate aim to assess whether this concept serves to operationalize equity in the balancing of conflicting rights and policies in an increasingly complex legal and policy landscape. Read more (http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2524337)

The team welcomes comments on the BENELEX working papers!

If you wish to receive immediate updates on new publications, as well as alerts about news and materials on benefit-sharing, follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benelex/265814990266614) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/BENELEXedinburg) . Our Facebook and Twitter accounts provide a repository of news, materials and events on benefit-sharing, which is constantly kept up to date.

ACTIVITIES

BENELEX contributes to the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment's survey:  In October 2014, the BENELEX team contributed to a survey by UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment , submitting information on benefit-sharing practices. The survey is meant to contribute to the gathering of data for a report on best practices on the use of human rights to inform, support and strengthen environmental policymaking, which is due to be presented to the Human Rights Council in March 2015.

BENELEX invited to contribute to brainstorming workshop on investment strategy for the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture: BENELEX researcher Elsa Tsioumani has been invited to a brainstorming workshop on an investment strategy for the Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, organized by the Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture. The workshop will be held on 17 January 2015, in Rome, Italy.

BENELEX Project Mindmaps: The BENELEX team has prepared a series of Mind Maps (http://www.benelex.ed.ac.uk/mind_maps) to visually represent the diffusion of benefit-sharing across international environmental regimes. The maps single out relevant quotes in international legal and policy documents such as: UN General Assembly resolutions; biodiversity-related conventions and decisions of their governing bodies; international treaties and guidelines on agriculture, food and land; human rights instruments and reports; international instruments on climate change; and international development banks standards. The maps may be accessed by clicking here (http://www.benelex.ed.ac.uk/mind_maps) .

ACTIVITIES


Benefit-sharing and international climate change law

On 12 November 2014, BENELEX researcher Annalisa Savaresi, presented the preliminary findings of her study investigating equity in the climate regime from a benefit-sharing perspective at Edinburgh Law School, UK. Dr Savaresi's presentation was followed by a discussion led by Dr Harro van Asselt, NORD-STAR Postdoctoral Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute, Oxford Centre.

BENELEX at the British International Studies Association's Workshop on Normative and Ideational Trends in Global Environmental Politics

On 16-17 October 2014, BENELEX researchers Elisa Morgera and Louisa Parks presented a paper on 'Conceptualising, and understanding the normative diffusion of, benefit-sharing in global environmental law' at the British International Studies Association (BISA) workshop on normative and ideational trends in global environmental politics (http://www.bisa-environment.net/activities.html) held at the University of Sheffield, UK.

Benefit-sharing at the cross-roads of international environmental and human rights law

On 15 October 2014, BENELEX principal investigator Elisa Morgera presented her findings on the emergence of the legal concept of fair and equitable benefit-sharing in international environmental law and its linkages with international human rights law at Edinburgh University School of Law, UK. Dr Morgera's presentation was followed by a discussion led by Dr James Harrison, Edinburgh Law School.

BENELEX at the 3rd UNITAR-Yale Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy

On 7 September 2014, BENELEX researcher Annalisa Savaresi presented a paper on 'The Emergence of Benefit-Sharing under the Climate Regime. Towards Greater Equity?' at the 3rd UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - Yale Conference on Environmental Governance & Democracy (http://conference.unitar.org/yale2014/) . The conference took place at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, and brought together scholars and policy experts working in the areas of human rights, climate change and sustainable development.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Benefit sharing in environmental law: international and European perspectives, workshop organized jointly with the Ius Commune Research School of the Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Maastricht and Leuven, 27 November 2014, 2-6 pm, University of Edinburgh, Pollocks Halls. By invitation only.

Benefit-sharing and Global Environmental Law: an inter-disciplinary enquiry into norm diffusion, Elisa Morgera and Louisa Parks, 28 January 2015, 5-7 pm, Edinburgh Law School, LT183, Old College. Discussant: Prof Ellen Hey, Erasmus School of Law.

Environmental governance, the law, and the people: inter-disciplinary perspectives on benefit-sharing, Elisa Morgera and Louisa Parks and Annalisa Savaresi, 09 March 2015, 12-2pm, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lincoln, Senior Common Room.

Benefit-sharing, land, food and agriculture in international law, Elsa Tsioumani, 18 March 2015, 5-7pm, University of Edinburgh, LT183, Old College. Discussants: Prof Francesco Francioni, European University Institute; and Dr Lorenzo Cotula, International Institute for Environment and Development.

You can sign up to our newsletter here (http://benelex.us8.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=b892a1f32a0b7923921086944&id=04f364d73e)

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BENELEX, Edinburgh Law School
The University of Edinburgh, Old College
South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH8 9YL
United Kingdom

Copyright © 2014 The University of Edinburgh, All rights reserved


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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: IISD Reporting Services <iisd-rs@iisd.org>
To: 
Cc: 
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 12:22:02 -0600
Subject: Biodiversity Update - 19 November 2014 - Biodiversity Policy & Practice

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A compilation of items recently posted to the Biodiversity Policy & Practice knowledgebase of international activities on biodiversity Latest News - 19 November 2014 IUCN, MedPAN Sign MOU to Improve Marine Management in Mediterranean 18_November 2014: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the network of marine protected area managers in the Mediterranean (MedPAN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC), which is taking place from 12-19 November, in Sydney, Australia. The MOU aims to enhance coordination on scientific research on ecosystem services, poverty reduction and sustainable development in the Mediterranean region. continued...   IUCN Report Assesses Benefits of Natural World Heritage Sites 18_November 2014: UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Natural World Heritage sites provide climate stability and support economic and human well-being, according to the first-ever assessment of the benefits and ecosystem services provided by these sites. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released the report at its World Parks Congress, which is taking place from 12-19 November in Sydney, Australia. continued...   15 Members of Future Earth Engagement Committee Appointed 18_November 2014: The Science and Technology Alliance for Global Sustainability has announced 15 members of the Future Earth Engagement Committee. The members will provide leadership and strategic guidance on engaging partners and stakeholders of Future Earth - a ten-year global research platform - in designing and disseminating research. continued...   World Parks Congress Inspires a New Generation 17_November 2014: Among its many themes, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress (WPC) has hosted discussions and events on the theme, 'Inspiring a New Generation.' This theme aims to empower youth to experience, be inspired by and value nature, and promotes a shared vision of inter-generational partnerships for parks, people and the planet. continued...   Biosafety COP/MOP 7 Report Released 17_November 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has released the final report of the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP/MOP 7). continued...   World Parks Congress Showcases Efforts to Improve People's Health through Nature 16_November 2014: Encouraging all people to access and enjoy national parks is one of many themes under discussion at the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) World Parks Congress. Several organizations have showcased initiatives at the Congress, such as the Active in Parks program and the Trailrider, an innovative all-terrain wheelchair, which are encouraging and facilitating citizens to connect with and conserve parks and nature. continued...   Biodiversity Policy & Practice Calendar: Current & Upcoming Events IUCN World Parks Congress 2014 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 12 Nov - 19 Nov Ramsar Convention Regional Pre-COP Meeting – Africa Hammamet, Nabeul, Tunisia 17 Nov - 21 Nov Second International Ocean Research Conference (IORC) Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain 17 Nov - 21 Nov Joint CBD, UNCCD Workshop on NBSAPs - NAP Synergies Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt 21 Nov - 22 Nov INTERPOL Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Committee Meetings Lyon, Rhone-Alpes, France 24 Nov - 28 Nov Eighth Session of the ITWG on AnGR of the CGRFA Rome, Lazio, Italy 26 Nov - 28 Nov Second Session of the Team of Technical and Legal Experts on ABS (TTLE ABS-2) of the CGRFA Rome, Lazio, Italy 27 Nov - 29 Nov Caribbean Sub-regional Capacity-Building Workshop on Biosafety Bridgetown, Saint Michael, Barbados 1 Dec - 5 Dec UNFCCC COP 20 Lima, Peru 1 Dec - 12 Dec Arctic Biodiversity Congress Trondheim, Sor-Trondelag, Norway 2 Dec - 4 Dec CBD Expert Workshop to Prepare Practical Guidance on Preventing and Mitigating the Significant Adverse Impacts of Marine Debris on Marine and Coastal Biodiversity and Habitats Baltimore, MD, US 2 Dec - 4 Dec Global Soil Biodiversity Conference Dijon, Bourgogne, France 2 Dec - 5 Dec WIPO Workshop for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities on Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland 3 Dec - 5 Dec Global Landscapes Forum Lima, Peru 6 Dec - 7 Dec Latin America Sub-regional Capacity-Building Workshop on Biosafety Montevideo, Uruguay 8 Dec - 12 Dec    Subscribe to our iCalendar and your computer will gain access to all the events listed in our  Biodiversity Policy & Practice  Calendar ( Learn More | Subscribe ) Please send suggestions for articles to Lauren Anderson at lauren@iisd.org Funding for Biodiversity Policy & Practice has been provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)

Biodiversity Policy & Practice is a knowledge management project for international negotiations and related activities addressing international biodiversity policy. It was launched by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Reporting Services in October 2010, during the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). IISD RS manages and is fully responsible for the content posted on Biodiversity Policy & Practice . Information on United Nations activities is provided in cooperation with the UN system agencies, funds and programmes through the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (UN CEB) Secretariat. Click here for further information on Biodiversity Policy & Practice

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