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2023 Judicial Colloquium

3 April (am) - 4 April (am) 2023

03 - 04 April 2023
Salle XVIII, Palais des Nations Geneva Switzerland

Judicial Colloquium “Judicial protection of human rights and public interests against environmental pollution from chemicals and wastes” took place in Geneva, Palais des Nations, on 3 - 4 (morning) April 2023. The event was held back-to-back with the fifteenth meeting of the Convention's Task Force on Access to Justice that took place on 4 (afternoon) - 5 April 2023.

The Colloquium aimed to bring together high-level representatives of judiciary, judicial training institutions and other review bodies. Its objective was to strengthen capacity of judiciary to effectively handle cases related to environmental pollution from chemicals and wastes and explore trends and good practices related to adjudication of these cases, in particular with regard to standing, scope of review and remedies.

The meeting thereby supported attaining of target 16.3 of Sustainable Development Goal 16 on promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring equal access to justice for all and other related goals and targets. The meeting will also address the role of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) and other relevant international law in this context.

The Judicial Colloquium was convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) pursuant to decision VII/3 of the Meeting of the Parties to the Aarhus Convention, which calls on promoting a network of judiciary, judicial training institutions and other review bodies in the pan-European region. The meeting was organized in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, Organization for Co-operation and Security in Europe, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, Global Judicial Institute on Environmental Law, European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment, and other partner organizations.

For further information about the meeting, please contact the secretariat public.participation[at]un.org.

Documents

38933 _ Provisional Programme _ 376413 _ English _ 773 _ 378373 _ pdf
38933 _ Provisional Programme _ 376413 _ French _ 780 _ 378376 _ pdf
38933 _ Provisional Programme _ 376413 _ Russian _ 864 _ 378374 _ pdf
38933 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Report of the fifteenth meeting of the task force on Access to Justice _ 380187 _ English _ 773 _ 394242 _ pdf
38933 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Report of the fifteenth meeting of the task force on Access to Justice _ 380187 _ French _ 780 _ 394243 _ pdf
38933 _ ECE/MP.PP/WG.1/2023/4 - Report of the fifteenth meeting of the task force on Access to Justice _ 380187 _ Russian _ 864 _ 394244 _ pdf

Statements and presentations

I:  Welcoming remarks:

Mr. Antonio Benjamin, President of the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment and Judge at the National High Court of Brazil (STJ) (video-message)

 

II: Setting the scene: Developments in Science, Policy and Law

Mr. Alen Mocilnikar, Registrar, Board of Appeal, European Chemicals Agency; Ms. Marijke Schurmans, Member, Board of Appeal, European Chemicals Agency PDF

Ms. Lesley Onyon, Head, Chemical Safety and Health Unit, World Health Organization PDF

Ms. Susan Wingfield, Programme Management Officer, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention Secretariat PDF

Ms. Lara Ognibene, Legal Officer, Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury PDF

 

III: Lessons learned from case law

Ms. Natalia Kobylarz, Senior lawyer, Environment Coordinator, European Court of Human Rights PDF

 

IV: Perspectives on effective access to justice

Ms. Ainura Bekkoenova, Policy Specialist, UNDP Regional Hub for Europe and Central Asia PDF