Capacity-building projects approved and completed

United Nations Environment Programme  -  IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Curriculum Development Project on Compliance and Enforcement  of Multi-Lateral Environmental Agreements

 
The IUCN Academy is working closely with the Division of Environmental Law and Conventions of the United Nations Environment Programme on an innovative Environmental Law educational project to develop a curriculum for a course on Compliance and Enforcement that law schools and other institutions teaching environmental law and policy may use.
The numerous Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) hold the promise to significantly improve environmental conditions on a global and regional basis.  These promises, however, will not be realized unless the MEAs are fully implemented and broad compliance with the Agreements is achieved.  Many nations, especially developing nations, face serious obstacles in implementing MEAs.   Perhaps the greatest of these obstacles is building the capacity of government departments, NGOs, civil society and the private sector to identify effective, efficient, and locally appropriate methods of implementing and enforcing MEAs.  This effort requires more than one-time training courses for a few organizations and individuals.  It requires long-term local investments in educating the next generation of environmental leaders.
Coordinated by Carl Bruch of the Environmental Law Institute in Washington and the Secretariat of the IUCN Academy, the project seeks to strengthen the intellectual infrastructure to implement and enforce MEAs.  The project is working with law schools and other environmental law teaching institutions to develop a course on implementation and enforcement of MEAs.  The first phase of the project is to develop the course syllabus, course curriculum and an outline of a teacher’s manual.  The course builds upon the UNEP Guidelines on Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreement (2002) and the UNEP Manual on Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (2006). 
The Project will significantly enhance the capacity of law schools and other academic institutions to train future environmental leaders on how they can more effectively implement, comply with, and enforce MEAs and related domestic legislation.  The Project is working with a number of institutions in both the pilot testing and delivery of the course.  It will strengthen environmental curricula through the development of a model syllabus, course material, an outline of a teacher’s manual, and other supporting documents that can be utilized around the world to provide law students with the background needed to understand how MEAs can be effectively developed, implemented, and enforced in their particular setting.  Since the course can be delivered by in-country faculty staff, it will provide a cost-effective way to train new generations of leaders who will understand how to implement and enforce MEAs.  In addition, the curriculum and associated materials are being designed so that the material can be used in conjunction with a range of courses such as those on international relations or environmental management, as well as for continuing education courses for professionals.

Regular reports will be posted here as the work progresses.   Inquiries concerning the project can be directed to Carl Bruch at the Environmental Law Institute:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Ben Boer at the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , and/or Elizabeth Maruma Mrema at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Posted 24 January 2007