FURTHER UPDATE – CANCELLATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CONFERENCE
Unfortunately, due to ongoing uncertainty as to when travel restrictions will be lifted, we have taken the decision to cancel the Environmental Law Conference currently scheduled for 23-24 April 2021 in Fiji. We hope to schedule a replacement conference at some time in the future, but at present we cannot be sure as to dates. Please check the LAWASIA website and social media platforms for any updates.
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) UPDATE
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
LAWASIA ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CONFERENCE IN THE PACIFIC 2020 POSTPONED TO 23-24 APRIL 2021
Due to the ongoing concerns and the unprecedented escalation and spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and the travel bans and restrictions issued by many governments in Asia and the Pacific region, the LAWASIA Executive Committee and the Conference Organising Committee have made the difficult decision to postpone the LAWASIA Environmental Law Conference in the Pacific 2020, in Fiji with immediate effect.
We understand the inconvenience rescheduling the conference may have caused to those who have already planned their trips. It is, however, our duty to do everything we can to prevent the virus from spreading, and we wish to reassure all our attendees and support staff that health and safety is our paramount concern and priority. Our sympathies are with those directly affected during this difficult time and we will follow up with all those who were scheduled to attend the conference.
All registrations purchased will remain valid for the rescheduled dates. Registrants will be advised separately on refund policy.
The confirmed new dates of the conference are 23 – 24 April 2021. In the meantime, we encourage conference attendees to visit the conference website for special announcements and further details.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. We look forward to your continued support and to meeting you at the rescheduled conference.
LAWASIA in association with the South Pacific Lawyers Association and the Fiji Law Society is pleased to invite the participation of members and legal professionals at the LAWASIA Environmental Law Conference in the Pacific 2020, to be held in Fiji from Friday 23 to Saturday 24 April 2021.
This 2-day conference will offer a topical and intensive legal briefing and discussion forum on key issues relevant to climate change, its impact on the Pacific and the role of lawyers in addressing those issues.
A line-up of local and international speakers will share information and expertise on a range of subjects relevant to the impact of climate change in the Pacific including the topics below:
Topics
Promoting action on Climate Change
- ‘Rising Up’ focusing on the ground swell of communities and youth movements and considering their legal impacts
- Managing the rise of youth movements agitating for legal change
- In pursuit of Climate Justice: Commencing the process of seeking an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on climate change and human rights
- The importance of including indigenous, local communities and faith-based perspectives and mobilising those communities to urge action on climate change
- Comics and Climate Change Law
- Role of the media – how communication and reporting on climate change and its impacts can shape public perceptions, opinions, and action
Consequences of Climate Change
- Given current policies are steering us toward a ‘3 degree world’, what kinds of hazards, impacts, risks and disruptions should we expect, and how might and should communities, business and governments respond?
- Climate Change and its Impact on Constitutional and Human Rights Law
- ‘The Right to Environment’
- Impacts of climate change on culture particularly language in the Torres Strait Islands
- The challenge for environmental law organisations – making indigenous environmental issues matter
Adaptation to Climate Change
- Legal Strategies to Expand Community Based Governance in Climate Change Adaptation: Lessons from the Pacific Islands
- Disaster preparedness and disaster management
- Time and Tide Wait For No Man: A critical analysis of the success of the United Nation’s Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration for climate-change induced migrants
- The legal implications of climate change on the statehood and maritime zones of Pacific island nations in the Pacific
- Impact of sea level rise on maritime boundaries
The Role of the Judiciary
- The Environmental Rule of Law: ready access to Courts, specialist or otherwise
- The duty of judges to protect future generations under the present rule of law, particularly with respect to green constitutions, and the remedies available
- The role of the judiciary in promoting the environmental rule of law and environmental justice
- The Role of Judiciaries in advancing environmental justice including climate justice with special emphasis on Fiji’s Climate Change Bill, economic loss, corporate liability and the impact on civil litigation
- Outcomes of the UNEP-ADB Pacific Judiciary Conference on Environment
Ocean Governance, protecting the Pacific Ocean
- From marine protected areas to marine spatial planning: how legal tools are responding to complex ocean challenges
- Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park: Achievements and Challenges
- Towards a Sustainable Ocean Governance Framework: A Need for a National Ocean Policy in Chile
Protecting and Managing Marine Resources
- Can’t see the (mangrove) forest for the trees: legal and policy recognition of mangrove and wetland ecosystem services in Australia
- Evaluation of the international, regional and domestic legal arrangements to protect seabirds in the Pacific region
- Protecting the marine ecosystem, law of the sea and international marine environmental law
- The importance of regional cooperation between Pacific Island Countries for efficient fisheries management
International and national climate initiatives
- Climate financing
- Legal and regulatory barriers climate finance access for developing countries: The Asia-Pacific Experience
- The role of carbon markets in the implementation of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement: An update on the outcomes of COP25 concerning the development of rules for the purposes of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
- Fiji’s actions in the financial sector to encourage climate resilience and manage climate induced events and to float green bonds in the international sector (TBC)
- The New Zealand youth-quake: Paradise lost, paradise found?
Sustainable, Resilient and Inclusive Development
- Sustainable, resilient and inclusive development. What does it mean to Fiji and how can we achieve it?
- Environmental impact assessments and legal issues that arise
- Sustainable, inclusive and resilient development, including environmental impact assessment of seabed mining in The Solomon Islands
LAWASIA events are renowned for a collegial atmosphere, networking opportunities and the exchange of knowledge in a regional context that sees regular delegates return year after year.
LAWASIA in association with the South Pacific Lawyers’ Association and the Fiji Law Society is pleased to welcome all to an exciting and informative event in Fiji.
