Global Ministerial Forum to Build Upon World Summit on Sustainable Development
The twenty-second session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 3 to 7, 2003, addressed implementation in the wake of World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held this past August in Johannesburg, South Africa.

UNEP's Executive Director prepared several reports in preparation of the February meeting. Implementing the Outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development: International Environmental Governance (UNEP/GC.22/4) provides a summary of actions taken or proposed on international environmental governance and covers:

In addition to WSSD follow-up activities, the meeting also discussed the Implementation of the Programme for the Development and Periodic Review of Environmental Law for the First Decade of the Twenty-first Century. The "Montevideo Programme III," as it is popularly known, is a broad strategy for the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in the field of environmental law for the first decade of the twenty-first century. The report describes UNEP activities in the context of the implementation of the above decision and in light of the outcomes of the WSSD.

Also of interest, the Report of the Global Judges Symposium on Sustainable Development and the Role of Law provides a summary of the INECE co-sponsored WSSD side event. See INECE Joins UNEP to Host Global Judges Symposium at WSSD, published in Newsletter 7.

For more information on the meeting, including agenda and downloadable documents, visit http://www.unep.org/GoverningBodies/GC22/.

IUCN Launches Academy of Environmental Law
In a move that will strengthen enforcement capacity around the globe, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) announced the creation of an international Academy of Environmental Law. IUCN's 2nd World Conservation Congress, in Resolution 2.24, endorsed the proposal from the Union's Commission on Environmental Law (CEL). After extensive study, the Steering Committee of the Commission at its Steering Committee meeting in South Africa in August, 2002, recommended that the Council of IUCN authorize the establishment of the Academy as an autonomous entity, associated with the Union's Environmental Law Programme.

Based on the Commission's recommendation, the 57th Meeting of IUCN Council (December 9-11, 2002) unanimously approved the establishment of the Academy and authorized the Committee to implement the proposal for the Academy. The Commission will establish the Academy at the end of 2003, at the Academy's first annual Colloquium. Preparatory meetings are scheduled throughout 2003 leading to this launch.

After eight years of study, experimentation with capacity building programs, and dialogue with university faculties of law on a worldwide basis, the Commission has determined that the most efficacious way to sustain the Union's contribution to building environmental law is for the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law to become more closely allied with the university community's expertise in environmental law. The Academy would be composed of participating universities. It would be autonomous in its governance and financing, but coordinated with IUCN's Environmental Law Programme.

The Academy's program would consist of (a) an annual conference to critically review environmental law and reflect on new concepts needed to make the field more effective, (b) an annual scholarly publication of the conference proceedings, (c) research projects on the conceptual development of environmental law, and (d) teaching and university-level capacity building in environmental law worldwide, with special attention to developing countries and countries with economies in transition. For more information on the Academy, visit http://www.iucn.org/themes/law/pdfdocuments/AcademyEnvirtLawDect2002.pdf.

World Water Forum to Address Legal Frameworks
Law enforcement frameworks were one of the many issues addressed at the 3rd World Water Forum, held March 16 - 23 in Kyoto, Japan. Forum participants identified concrete actions to address issues of human requirements for adequate water supplies, improved health and sanitation with food production, transportation, energy and environmental needs, and methods for developing more effective governance and improving capacity and financing. Some 24,000 participants from 182 countries, more than triple the number of participants expected, attended the sessions. They agreed that the "community level public participation is fundamental to achieving these goals," and that the "common basic requirement for water is an opportunity for cooperation and peace."

Sessions also covered such broad perspectives as cultural diversity, gender, Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Basin Management, security, people-centered approaches, indicators and monitoring, legal frameworks, and sustainable development.

The Preliminary Forum Statement is available online at http://www.worldwaterforum.org. The final statement will be issued on May 15 in time to provide input to the preparations of the G-8 meeting in Evian, France in June.