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African Environmental Lawyers Network A
recent development in Africa is the creation of a regional Network, of
African Environmental Lawyers. With
NESDA as a home base for the Secretariat, it will facilitate the
establishment of diverse professional networks at the sub-regional and/or
continental levels in Africa to provide a forum for African
professionals. Its specific
objectives are: · to inform African lawyers on new challenges in environmental law and provide the tools which will allow them to bring their support and assistance during the formulation of policies, · to encourage contacts and cooperation among African environmental lawyers and with relevant organizations and institutions in and outside Africa to meet and know each other, exchange experiences and mutually learn from one another. · to contribute, in the long term, to the enhancements for the people of Africa through expert support for the formulation and effective implementation of environmental policies, improved decision making by political actors, legislators and magistrates as well as the awareness of civil society major groups such as farmers, workers, women and youth. The
fundamental goal of the network is the establishment of a framework, which
will enable environmental lawyers from the various sub-regions in Africa to
get together. Thus, through its various training and awareness raising
activities and through the provision of quality advisory services, the
network will contribute towards raising the awareness of all actors involved
and thereby enhance the sustainable management of natural resources in
Africa. The network will create a
dynamism which will manifest itself in enhanced collaboration and cooperation
of relevant organizations existing in Africa, with each organization pursuing
its regular activities but the value resulting from the cooperation and
collaboration becoming greater than the sum total of the individual
activities through the integration of initiatives. In the long run, the aim
is also to set up a directory of all the competent individuals, which will be
used as a reference document not only for the African countries to rely on,
but also for the international partners which can tap on such expert
individuals in Africa for consultancies or any other environmental law experts
activities.
Africas
Enforcement Networks African subregional enforcement
networks for North, South, East, West and Central Africa identified during
the Fifth International Conference are still in their formative stages of
development. See list of contacts for
regional networks. For Central
Africa, a workprogram has been developed and proposed to several potential
sponsoring organizations. These
enforcement networks are multidisciplinary in nature and focus on
environmental compliance and enforcement issues. In the meantime, a continent wide effort is resulting in a
Network of African Environmental Lawyers which is featured in this issue of
the INECE Newsletter. The African
Development Bank is integrating environmental compliance and enforcement
concerns into its activities with the Regional Member Countries (RMCs). In
particular and most recently a World Bank sponsored mission involving 5
lectures on mining and the environment, a field trip on good mining
practices; especially dealing with the effluents of mercury and cyanide in
the retrieval of Au (gold) all of which stressed the importance of compliance
and enforcement as regards mining legislation.
Center for
Popularization of Research on the Drawing up and Enforcement of Environment
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Related Legal
Instruments (CEPREDESCI) On August 13, 1999, Cameroon
officials approved the creation of an environmental NGO, Center for
Popularization of Research on the Drawing up and Enforcement of Environment
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Related Legal
Instruments (CEPREDESCI). CEPREDESCI
aims to bring together legal and scientific experts to contribute to the
development and enforcement of environmental laws that are based on reliable
scientific and technical aids; promote conservation and sustainable use of
natural resources; provide training for environment conservation and sustainable
development; assist any citizen or organization with sustainable
environmental management; and foster partnerships with other scientific and
environmental law organizations including E-LAW, ELI, ELNI and IUCN. Sponsorship is currently being sought
after to provide assistance for the organization’s efforts. Mr. Pierre
Mbouegnong, President of CEPREDESCI, has lead the organization in its
preliminary activities which include training of government officials in the
environment administration and developing scientific norms for the
legislative standards on desertification.
Activities for future consideration include the Agriculture and
Forestry Project sponsored by the African Development Bank as well as environmental
improvements to the Cameroon municipalities (e.g. drinking water, hazardous
waste, urban sanitation).
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