
Strengthening Environmental Rule of Law and Protection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders through People-Centered Approaches (UNEP)
Session Time and Date
12 November, 9.00-10.30am
Conference Room 2
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Concept Summary
Environmental rule of law provides the essential legal tools and responses to the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. It integrates critical environmental needs with the elements of rule of law, thus creating a foundation for environmental governance that protects rights and enforces fundamental obligations. It thereby advances people centered justice by addressing environmental harms especially for those disproportionately harmed and marginalized. A key element of the environmental rule of law is the safeguarding of environmental rights and protection of the most vulnerable, including women, children and environmental human rights defenders. Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) are individuals and groups who, in their personal or professional capacity and in a peaceful manner, strive to protect and promote human rights relating to the environment, including water, air, land, flora and fauna. It is globally recognized that EHRDs play a vital role in protecting the environment and standing up for communities and individuals who are disproportionately impacted by environmental harm. They are key actors in advancing people-centered justice. This session will explore recent developments and remaining needs to strengthen environmental rule of law in the region. It will examine the important role of environmental human rights defenders as partners in ensuring and enabling environmental justice for current and future generations.
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Objectives
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To understand the role of environmental human rights defenders in ensuring and enabling environmental justice for current and future generations.
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To explore barriers and opportunities to enhance environmental rule of law in the region to achieve people-centered justice.
Questions
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What are the barriers for environmental rule of law that relate to (i) strong legal frameworks; (ii) effective political, administrative, and judicial institutions, and (iii) access to information and access to justice?
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What are some innovations and good practices that have enabled the progressive development of environmental rule of law and the implementation of laws?
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How can the role of EHRDs be strengthened and an enabling environment be put in place to support their role in advancing people-centered justice?
Format/Methodology
Introduction (5 minutes):
Introduction and setting the scene.
Panel Discussion (50 minutes):
A moderated discussion with 4-5 expert panelists, including judges, lawyers, youth advocates and academics.
Q&A (30 minutes):
An interactive Q&A segment.
Closing (5 minutes):
Wrap up and closing.
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Speakers and Moderator


Justice Jawad Hassan Bio
Lahore High Court, Pakistan
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Justice Jawad Hassan was elevated to the Lahore High Court in November 2016. Prior to his elevation, he had more than 150 reported judgements of the Supreme Court and High Courts. As a Justice of the Lahore High Court, he has given over 400 reported landmark judgements (highest in the High Court) that have developed principles of law, evolving new points, legal theories and legal doctrines in numerous high-profile political, constitutional, environmental, commercial, banking, arbitration & mediation and civil cases. He is also well known for his contributions to jurisprudence on environmental justice in Pakistan. Recently, J. Hassan addressed COP 28 Dubai and various events on international arbitrations, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; Kings College, London, Cambridge University, Grays Inn and Lincolns Inn and on mediation in Singapore. In July 2023, on the SIFOCC's Observation Program he was the Shadow Judge at the London Commercial Courts. J. Hassan has written chapters, edited and compiled a number of books on law published both within Pakistan and internationally. He regularly lectures at Law Schools and Judicial Academies all over Pakistan.
J. Hassan studied at the Forman Christian College, Lahore (B.A. 1987); University of Westminster, London, Punjab University (M.A.1991/L.L.B 1993) and Pace University, School of Law, New York (L.L.M 1996). He was awarded the Henry F. Feldshuh scholarship and received training at the Hague Academy of International Law(1995) and the National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law (1997).


Patricia Kameri-Mbote
(Moderator)
Director of the Law Division, UNEP
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As the Director of the Law Division, UNEP, Patricia leads the Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law, governance, and related policy issues.  These include: leading the international community in the progressive development of environmental law; supporting States in the development and implementation of legal, institutional and policy measures in response to major environmental challenges; facilitating cooperation and coordination among the Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and between UNEP and those agreements; working with secretariats of MEAs to support Parties to the respective MEAs in implementing their treaty obligations; and facilitating policy dialogue among States on issues relating to international environmental law and governance. Patricia is a member of the Governing Board of the International Council on Environmental Law (ICEL). Previously, Patricia was Founding Research Director of the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC). She is a member of the Senior Counsel Bar in Kenya and a Professor of Law. Patricia holds Doctorate (1999) and Master’s (1996) Degrees in Law from Stanford University and a higher doctorate from the University of Nairobi (2019). These have focused on environmental law and its interactions with other areas of law such as property law and women’s law. She also holds a master’s degree from Warwick University (1989) and was awarded an honorary degree in law by the University of Oslo (UiO) in 2017 for her work cutting across established fields of Women’s Law, Natural Resources Law, Human Rights and Law and Development.


Ria Das
Human rights lawyer
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Ria Das is a human rights lawyer and early career researcher based in India, working on issues of environmental crimes, preventive detention, juvenile justice and human rights. She works closely with youth, human rights defenders and social movements to drive forward collaborative research, advocacy, and strategic litigation efforts. 
Currently, she holds the position of Youth Advisory group member on Environmental and Climate Justice in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating her commitment to youth mainstreaming and advancing environmental causes on an international scale. 
Additionally, she is leading the IUCN Early Career Environmental Law Specialist Group
 ‘Networks and Partnerships’ Project, where she is spearheading projects and exploring cutting-edge issues within the realm of international environmental law research. Her contributions extend to co-authoring research papers with national, regional, and global perspectives, contributing to esteemed institutions, including Oxford University, to name a few, further solidifying her impact in the field.


BJ William Schulte
​Lawyer, The Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)
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BJ brings expertise in providing legal support and training to local communities, conducting research on emerging environmental law issues, and training public interest advocates. His work has focused primarily on collaborating with partners in Asia to work toward strengthening environmental rule of law and governance in the region. BJ has worked with a variety of local partners including government departments, lawyers, and civil society organizations on initiatives ranging from training for capacity building to supporting the development of environmental laws, regulations and guidelines. Prior to focusing on the Asia region, he spent a number of years litigating public interest environmental cases and supporting environmental policy initiatives on behalf of NGOs and community organizations in New Jersey, USA. 


Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong
Member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights
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Dr Pichamon Yeophantong is the member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights. She is also Head of Research and Associate Professor at the Centre for Future Defence and National Security, Deakin University. Pichamon currently leads the Responsible Business Lab and the Environmental Justice and Human Rights Project, which are funded by an Australian Research Council Fellowship. As a political scientist, Pichamon teaches and publishes field-based research on business and human rights, and the political economy of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific. She advises a range of civil society organisations, NGOs and government agencies on human rights, security and investment issues, including Jubilee Australia Research Centre, Oxfam, and the Australian Water Partnership. Prior to joining Deakin, Pichamon held academic positions at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Princeton University, and the University of Oxford. She holds a PhD and MA from the Australian National University and a BA from Thammasat University. In recognition of her work with local partners on initiatives to support the resilience of women leaders and environmental human rights defenders in Southeast Asia, Pichamon was awarded the 2018 Australia 'Future Leader' Prize by the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.


Amarin Saichan
Lawyer 
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​Amarin is an environmental rights lawyer with 15-year experience working with ENLAWTHAI Foundation (EnLAW) to support local communities in Thailand in accessing to environmental justice. His work includes legal consultation and workshop training for communities and CSOs to exercise their environmental rights, public interest litigation on pollution and impacts from large-scale development and industrial projects, and also advocacy for better environmental law enforcement. His expertise and interests are Right of access to information, Freedom of public assembly, Public participation in decision making, and environmental litigation in the Administrative Court.