Implementation of the UNEP Judges Capacity building Programme for the Judiciary and Related Legal Stakeholders

The Judiciary plays an important role in environmental management.  This role range from upholding the rule of law in environmental matters, to interpretation of environmental statutes, the implementation and enforcement of environmental law, as well as in the promotion of sustainable development by balancing environmental, social, and developmental considerations in judicial decisions.  Legal practitioners from both sides of the litigation system in prosecution and defending cases, play an important role in environmental law.  Recognizing the importance of the role of the Judiciary and related legal stakeholders in environmental law, UNEP in response to the Johannesburg Principles adopted by the Global Judges Symposium on Sustainable Development and the Role of Law in August 2002, and in pursuance of UNEP Governing Council decision 22/17II on the Capacity Building of Judges and Other Legal Stakeholders in Environmental Law initiated global, regional and national capacity building programs for Judges and related legal stakeholders. 

The first effort made by UNEP to widely consult Judges on the kind of sensitization programs that are suitable for the members of the judiciary was by convening the Judges Ad hoc Meeting for the Development of a Plan of Work for the Capacity Building of Judges, Prosecutors, and other Legal Stakeholders, in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30-31 January 2003.  In this meeting UNEP was advised to work with selected members of the judiciary to develop simple and illustrative training materials that can be used by the members of the Judiciary for reference and for the sensitization programs of the judiciary and related legal stakeholders.  In this regard, the UNEP Judges Advisory Group was constituted to oversee implementation of capacity building programs for judges and other related legal stakeholders.  In the course of 2006, UNEP decided to convene the Adhoc UNEP Judges Advisory Group Meetings to review the ongoing programs designed to implement the Johannesburg Principles and to seek advise on training materials developed for the judges capacity building programme.

The main purpose of the meetings was to ensure coherence in the kind of training materials UNEP uses all over the world while taking into consideration the specific needs and priorities of each country and sub-region and the differences in legal traditions when undertaking the programs.  The Meetings reviewed the proposed draft training materials and the content and lessons learned in the course of undertaking training programs in environmental law for the judiciary and related legal stakeholders at the sub-regional and at the national level and advised UNEP on the same. 

For more information, please click the following:

List of participants
Background Document