Environmental Law and Security

Boundary Litigation Group/GeoSystems
Provides maps for the monthly publication International Boundary Monitor, which focuses on a major boundary issue in the world.
http://blg.geosys.com/html/samples.html

Canadian Institute for Resources Law (Canada)
L' Institut canadien du droit des ressources
University of Calgary

The Canadian Institute of Resources Law is a leading national centre of expertise on legal and policy issues relating to Canada's natural resources. Since its establishment in 1979, the Institute has pursued a three-fold mandate of research, education and publication. The Institute initiates projects and responds to requests from the public and private sectors and from non-governmental organizations.
L' Institut canadien du droit des ressources est un centre national de premier rang offrant une expertise en matière de droit et des politiques des ressources naturelles. Depuis sa création en 1979, l'institut a rempli un triple mandat de recherche, d'enseignement et de publication. L'institut initie des projets et répond aux demandes des secteurs public et privé ainsi que des organismes à but non lucratif. L'institut canadien du droit des ressources est reconnaissant du soutien généreux fourni par l'Alberta Law Foundation, qui a financé le développement de ce site. In English, French and Ukrainian.
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~cirl/html/about.html

Center for Environmental Public Advocacy, The (Slovakia)
The Center for Environmental Public Advocacy (CEPA) is a non profit, non governmental, non partisan organization promoting positive social change at the local, national and international levels. Its mission is to create and enforce effective instruments leading towards strengthening citizen's participation in decision making regarding issues of public interest, sustainable development, protection of human rights and environmental justice. CEPA´s central programs are the Public Interest Law Program and Sustainable Economy Program. The activities within Public Interest Law Program (PIL Program) fall into three inter-related program pillars:
  1. Strategic Litigation and Legal Aid providing legal services to citizens and NGOs with priority to cases of significant impact,
  2. Legal Education, including publications, manuals and workshops on PIL issues for active citizens and NGOs; and
  3. Access to Justice through networking of legal professionals, PIL Conference, working with law students and contributing to judicial reform.
Includes publications produced by the Center for Environmental Public Advocacy and Friends of the Earth. Slovakia regarding selected issues of the Sustainable Economy Program available in English. Outputs include informational materials, brochures, press releases, articles, letters addressed to official institutions, case studies, and results from CEPA's research activities. In Slovak and English.
http://www.cepa.sk

Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales (Costa Rica)
El Centro de Derecho Ambiental y de los Recursos Naturales (CEDARENA) es una asociación apolítica, sin fines de lucro y declarada de utilidad pública, cuya sede se encuentra en San José, Costa Rica. CEDARENA fue fundada en 1989, como respuesta a una creciente preocupación por los problemas ambientales y la necesidad de tomar acciones jurídicas al respecto. Está conformado por un grupo de profesionales en Derecho y otras ramas; vinculados por un interés común en la solución de problemas.
http://www.cedarena.org

Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR)
CPSR is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society. CPSR members provide the public and policymakers with realistic assessments of the power, promise, and limitations of computer technology. CPSR undertakes projects based on public discussion of, and public responsibility for decisions involving the use of computers in systems critical to society. They seek to dispel popular myths about the infallibility of technological systems, challenge the assumption that technology alone can solve political and social problems, and critically examine social and technical issues within the computer profession, both nationally and internationally. With information and member links to ICANN Members Forum, Internet Democracy Project, Civil Society Internet Forum and Working Group on Domain Names and Internet Governance. Publishers of the online Cyber-Federalist Newsletter. In English.
http://www.cpsr.org/

Criteria Expert Group (CEG-2)
Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee, POPs Convention
The second session of the Criteria Expert Group for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) met in from June 1999 in Vienna. The final report forwarded to the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for an International Legally Binding Instrument for Implementing International Action on Certain Persistent Organic Pollutants (INC-3), meeting in September 1999, in Geneva is contained here.
http://www.iisd.ca/chemical/ceg2/

Cyber-Rights and Cyber-Liberties
Cyberlaw Research Unit, Centre For Criminal Justice Studies
University of Leeds (UK)

This non profit civil liberties organization tracks developments in Internet law, security and privacy. The site includes the text of the Draft Convention on Cyber-crime prepared by Committee of Experts on Crime in Cyber-Space (PC-CY), for submission to the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) at its 50th plenary session (18 - 22 June 2001) and the Committee of Ministers for adoption; Statewatch Observatory on Surveillance in Europe; and related UK and European cyber-plans, programmes and news. In English.
http://www.cyber-rights.org/

Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Linkages Information Server
Provides balanced, objective and informative summaries of environment and development negotiations. It disseminates information on the activities of governments, NGOs and the United Nations at international meetings; provides real-time information to environment and development decision makers using the new and emerging information technologies; maintains an information flow to policy makers on the activities of other parallel negotiating processes.
http://www.iisd.ca/

ECOLOGIA
International Treaties and Global Issues
On of the family of E-Tip resources pages. Brief summaries of each are given, along with an evaluation by ECOLOGIA.
http://ecologia.nier.org/english/level1/treaty.html

Ecologists in Action / Ecologistas en Acción (España)
Ecologists in Action are a confederation of more than 300 Spanish ecological groups that understand environmental problems have their origin in society's model of production, consumption and increasing globalization. / Ecologistas en Acción es una confederación de ámbito estatal, fruto de la unificación de más de 300 grupos ecologistas. Forma parte del llamado ecologismo social, que entiende que los problemas medioambientales tienen su origen en un modelo de producción y consumo cada vez más globalizado, del que derivan también otros problemas sociales, y que hay que transformar si se quiere evitar la crisis ecológica. In Spanish.
http://www.ecologistasenaccion.org/

Environmental conventions and protocols
1. Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, done at Geneva, on 13 November 1979. There are seven Protocols to the 1979 Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution. (a) Protocol on Long-term Financing of the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP), done at Geneva, on 28 September 1984;
(b) Protocol on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or their Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30 per cent, done at Helsinki, on 8 July 1985;
(c) Protocol concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or their Transboundary Fluxes, done at Sofia, on 31 October 1988;
(d) Protocol on the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes, done at Geneva, on 18 November 1991;
(e) Protocol on the Further Reduction of Sulphur Emissions, done at Olso, on 14 June 1994;
(f) Protocol on Heavy Metals to be submitted to the Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (Århus, Denmark, 23-25 June 1998);
(g) Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants submitted to the Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (Århus, Denmark, 23-25 June 1998).
2. Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in the Transboundary Context, done at Espoo (Finland), on 25 February 1991.
3. Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, done at Helsinki, on 17 March 1992.
4. Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, done at Helsinki, on 17 March 1992.
5. Convention on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision-making, done at the Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" (Århus, Denmark, 23-25 June 1998).
http://www.unece.org/leginstr/cvenvi.htm

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (E-LAW)
A network of environmental defenders in 50 countries using law to protect the environment. These public interest attorneys, scientists and other advocates help each other protect and restore the planet by exchanging legal, scientific and strategic information.
http://www.elaw.org/

Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
ELI is an internationally recognized independent research and education center. ELI advances environmental protection by improving law, policy, and management. The site largely contains information available by subscription.
http://www.eli.org/

Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference (2003)
UN Economic Commission for Europe

The fifth Ministerial Conference .Environment for Europe. (EfE) concluded on 23 May 2003, in Kiev, Ukraine, with the adoption of the Ministerial Declaration, which underlined the importance of the EfE process as a tool to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in the region. During the Conference, three Protocols to Conventions of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe were adopted and opened for signature. Thirty-five countries and the European Community signed the new Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment to the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo Convention); Twenty-two countries signed the new Protocol on Civil Liability and Damage Caused by the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents on Transboundary Waters to the UNECE Conventions on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents and on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Waters and International Lakes; and Thirty-six countries and the European Community signed the new Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention). The Ministers and Heads of delegation also endorsed the Guidelines for Strengthening Compliance with and Implementation of MEAs in the UNECE region. Governments of all seven countries of the Carpathian region adopted a Convention on Environment Protection and Sustainable Development of the Carpathians, which was opened for signature on 22 May and signed by Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia and Ukraine. With proceedings, source documents and links to the above-mentioned legal instruments. In English, French and Russian.
http://www.unece.org/env/wgso/index_kyivconf.htm

EU Mine Action
http://eu-mine-actions.jrc.cec.eu.int/

Foreign Policy In Focus
Interhemispheric Resource Center (Albuquerque, New Mexico) and Institute for Policy Studies (Washington DC), the

This "think tank without walls" provides foreign policy news and issue briefs searchable by region or topic. The site includes a media center and expert contacts database. In English.
http://fpif.org/

Gary North's Y2K Links and Forums
There are over 5,000 documents on this resource site. Are Y2K problems chronically under-addressed?
http://www.garynorth.com/y2k/search_.cfm

Helsinki Monitor, The
Quarterly on Security and Cooperation In Europe.
http://www.spn.ethz.ch/static/osce/h_monit/hel_mon.htm

Images Asia
Images Asia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to development and human rights in Southeast Asia. Images Asia is engaged in implementing materiel and non-material development projects with aim of empowering the people of Burma. Images Asia maintains a library of slides, videos, and photographs from throughout the region. Program areas include Media Intervention Training, Human Rights Documentation, Environmental Education Program, Research Project on The State of Women's Human Rights in Burma Following State Peace and Development Council's Ratification of UN Convention on the Elimination of All Form of Discrimination Against Women, Multimedia Production and Service, human rights publications, videos and archives. In English.
http://www.imagesasia.org

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (USA)
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) is an international organization whose mission is to facilitate and support the development of civil society on a global basis by assisting the creation and improvement of laws and regulatory systems that permit, encourage, and regulate the not-for-profit sector in countries around the world. In cooperation with other local and international organizations, ICNL provides technical legal assistance for writing laws and regulations that will enable the non-governmental organization (NGO) sector to grow and thrive. ICNL provides training and educational materials and programs to assist lawyers, judges, and NGO leaders in learning about not-for-profit laws, administrative, and judicial systems. ICNL maintains a library, archive, resource center, and clearinghouse for information on legal, regulatory, and administrative developments regarding the not-for-profit sector. ICNL conducts and support legal, sociological, and other research relevant to strengthening and improving laws and legal systems for NGOs. ICNL's work has principally centered on not-for-profit legal issues in developing and transition countries. Under substantial contracts with USAID, ICNL has developed projects in fourteen countries in Central and Eastern Europe. With USAID funding and various partnership arrangements, ICNL has been active in helping to develop the NPO legal framework for Russia, Western NIS, the Caucasus, and the Central Asian Republics. With funding from several private foundations, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other bilateral and multilateral development agencies, ICNL has undertaken research and technical assistance projects in other regions, including Asia/Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East/North Africa, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe. In English.
http://www.icnl.org

International POPs Elimination Network, The (IPEN)
IPEN is a global network of public interest non-governmental organizations united in support of a common Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs) Elimination Platform. The mission of IPEN, achieved through its 266 participating organizations, is to work for the global elimination of persistent organic pollutants, on an expedited yet socially equitable basis. The site contains IPEN's March 2000 scorecard of 'National Government Commitments on Elimination and on the Precautionary Principle' and position papers developed by IPEN members. In English; the POPs Elimination Platform is also available in FranÇais, Espanol, Arabic and Russian.
http://www.ipen.org

International Relations and Security Network (ISN)
ISN is a one-stop information service in the fields of international relations and security. Among the services offered are: an annotated links library, a limited area search tool (ISN LASE), a selection of resources on current world affairs, and specialized fact databases. ISN also develops educational modules in the fields mentioned and acts as a platform for networking, dialogue, and cooperation within the international security community.
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/

International Water Law Project, The
Nearly every nation on the globe shares its water resources with one or more countries. The management, regulation and conservation of transboundary water resources have therefore become increasingly important subjects of international law. This is quite evident from both an economic and an environmental perspective. The International Water Law Project website was created to provide information and links on international water law and policy and related topics.
http://home.att.net/~intlh2olaw/

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), The
ICANN is the non-profit corporation that was formed to assume responsibility for the IP address space allocation, protocol parameter assignment, domain name system management, and root server system management functions previously performed under U.S. Government contract by IANA and other entities. The site contains information about ICANN and its Supporting Organizations, Advisory and Board Committees; ICANN Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Organizational Chart; Corporate Documents, Major Agreements and Related Reports, and Corporate Policies; Conflicts of Interest, Independent Review, and Reconsideration policies; Financial Information; and Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations. In English.
http://www.icann.org/

Internet Guide to International Fisheries Law
This Guide is designed to be the largest collection of information on international fisheries law and related subjects on the web. It includes a Compendium of Legal Texts - a collection of treaties, conventions and agreements concerning international fisheries, marine mammals and related subjects, and a selection of non-binding instruments, national legislation with international implications, and archive of agreements which have expired or been replaced by newer versions.; a selection of fisheries related Cases at the international level, including the principal cases from the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, a Directory of the major international fisheries organizations and commissions, Glossary, On-line papers, and Mailing lists. In English.
http://www.oceanlaw.net

Kyiv/Kiev 2002 Environment for Europe
Tacis Environmental Awareness Raising Programme (Ukraine)

This web-site was created to collect information on the Environment for Europe process. Information on the history of Environment for Europe, participants of the process, challenges and successes of the process, and preparations for the Fifth Ministerial Conference. In Russian and English.
http://www.kiev2002.org/

Linkages
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
A multimedia resource for environment and development policy makers. Tracks international negotiations, protocols and major conferences. With links to the Earth Negotiation Bulletin.
http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/

Multilaterals Project, The
An ongoing project to make available the texts of international multilateral conventions and other instruments. Although the project was initiated to improve public access to environmental agreements, the collection today also includes treaties in the fields of human rights, commerce and trade, laws of war and arms control, and other areas. Although the vast majority of texts date from the second half of this century, the collection also includes historical texts, from the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia to the Covenant of the League of Nations.
http://www.tufts.edu/departments/fletcher/multilaterals.html#About

NEPAnet
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Contains the full text of National Environmental Protection Act, relevant regulations and guidance on implementing the statute. With links to web pages that address impacts on pollution prevention and environmental justice concerns.
http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm

Public Participation Issue Group
ECE Guidelines on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making, endorsed by Sofia Conference participants, have created possibility to prepare Convention on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making under auspices of UN ECE. PPIG maintains the Public Participation Documentation Center.
http://www.ljudmila.org/retina/eco-forum/ppdoc.htm

Russian Ecological Federal Information Agency (REFIA)
This site contains official information on the state of natural resources and environment in Russia. Information is grouped into the following media: air, water, mineral resources, forests, terrestrial biodiversity, water biodiversity, recreational resources, protected areas, state of environment. Under each main heading the information is grouped into the following sections: a state management system, general review, periodicals, legislation and documents. Each following level contains indepth of information regarding each specific subject. Also contained is a link to the "Spaseniye" (Salvation) electronic newsletter (in Russian only). In English and Russian.
http://www.refia.ru

Statewatch
Statewatch monitors the state and civil liberties in the European Union. The Statewatch searchable database contains over 25,000 entries and reports on the state, civil liberties and justice and home affairs in the UK and the European Union. Includes EU Commission proposal for a regulation on public access to documents and analyses of EU databases, use and exchange of data and surveillance.
http://www.statewatch.org

Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database, The
Oregon State University
Includes a searchable database of summaries and full text of 150 water-related treaties. The summaries are catalogued by basin, countries involved, date signed, treaty topic, allocations measure, conflict resolution mechanisms, and non-water linkages; A similar database of 39 interstate compacts within the United States; Negotiating notes and other primary and secondary sources for 14 case studies of the processes of international water conflict resolution; Descriptions of indigenous/traditional methods for the resolution of water disputes; News files and bibliographic entries of acute water conflicts; A digitized inventory of international watersheds; An annotated bibliography of the state of the art of Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Resolution.
http://terra.geo.orst.edu/users/tfdd/

TRUSTNET
TRUSTNET Secretariat (Paris)

TRUSTNET is a pluralistic and interdisciplinary European network involved in the field of Risk Governance. The objective of TRUSTNET is to contribute to the quality of the decision-making processes within the governance of hazardous activities in Europe. TRUSTNET is assessing the emerging concepts and experiences (precautionary principle, pluralistic expertise, decentralisation of risk management,?) as well as the innovative institutional arrangements (agencies, stakeholder participation, citizen conferences,?) that may enhance the quality, the legitimacy and the practicability of the decision-making processes on risk. The TRUSTNET steering committee involves representatives of major organisations dealing with risk governance, among them European national regulatory bodies and representatives of the European Commission. The site contains cases studies that address potential risks from magnetic fields, nuclear power, pharmaceuticals, and riverine flooding, Agenda 21 implementation, chemical facility siting and management, the Dunkerque Conurbation, GMO Maize, among other topics. With a Glossary of Risk Goverance topics. In English.
http://www.trustnetgovernance.com/

Umanotera (Slovenia)
Umanotera is implementing a three year programme for strengthening civil society organisations in Slovenia. In 2002 and 2003, through funding provided by the Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe Umanotera undertook three individual projects:
  1. Initiative for the Future of NGOs,
  2. Capacity building of the NGO Centre and the NGO sector, promotion of networking and co-operation, and strengthening the dialogue between the government and the NGO sector in Slovenia, implemented by Centre of NGOs Slovenia and .ent, and
  3. Law on Non-governmental organisations and activities related to the adoption and implementation of the law, implemented by PIC (Pravno Informacijski Center).
In Slovenia.
http://www.umanotera.org/default.html

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) International Legal Instruments and Norms and Standards - Environment
During the last 19 years, twelve international legally binding instruments, five conventions and seven protocols, have been developed in the ECE on air pollution, environmental impact assessment, industrial accidents and transboundary waters. These treaties, which are important elements of a common European legal framework, are concrete and effective instruments to eliminate the former dividing line between east and west and to integrate countries with economies in transition into a pan-European legal and economic space. They are also of relevance to the non-European Mediterranean group of countries.
http://www.unece.org/leginstr/cvenvi.htm

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Includes the Kyoto Protocol in English, French, Russian and Spanish, and Kyoto Protocol Introduction text.
http://www.unfccc.de/

United Nations Treaty Collection
http://www.un.org/Depts/Treaty/

U.S. Federal Government's Gateway for Year 2000 Information
Directories
http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mks/yr2000/y2khome.htm