Latest news and events

The judicial colloquium on environmental protection and judiciary will convene judges from Armenia and around the world to exchange insights on the role of courts in contributing to the protection of nature and strengthening the environmental rule of law, share experiences and expertise on key principles and good practices, and collectively reflect on the developments and outcomes of the 17th Conference of the Parties (CBD COP17) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Yerevan, Armenia. The discussion will provide an opportunity to take stock of recent advances in

Judges Day is one of the major parallel events that will be held during the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17). CBD COP17 marks the first global review of progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), providing an important opportunity to assess whether international commitments and national biodiversity targets are being translated into measurable actions and outcomes. Effective implementation of the KMGBF requires more than policy commitments. It depends on sustained collaboration among

On 26 June 2026 in Geneva, UNECE, UNEP, UNDP, the European Forum of Judges for the Environment and the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment co-hosted the Judicial Colloquium on Adjudication of Cases related to Damage to Nature. The colloquium brought together over 20 senior justices to exchange perspectives on challenges, good practices and innovative tools for adjudicating damage to nature, including SireneJud and Bioval. The event highlighted strong judicial interest in dedicated spaces for peer exchange on environmental adjudication and identified future opportunities for

On 23-24 June 2026, a regional seminar “Justice, Biodiversity, and Global Change: Building on the Legacy of the Amphictyonic Congress” was held in Panama City. It brought together judges and justice operators from Latin America and the Caribbean to reflect on one of the greatest challenges of our time: the protection of biodiversity and the response to climate change from the judicial lens. The seminar aimed to strengthen judicial decision-making based on scientific evidence, promoting a better understanding of the links between the environment, biodiversity, climate change and human rights

Within the framework of 2026 World Environment Day, on 5 June 2026, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) participated in the forum "Access to justice in the face of the triple environmental crisis in Mexico", a space for dialogue that brought together representatives of the judiciary, academia, civil society organizations, human rights defenders and Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities to reflect on the environmental challenges facing the country. Approximately 90 participants attended the forum. The event included an Environmental Justice Pavilion, where civil society

UNEP co-organized with the Government of Vanuatu, the Pacific Community (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and UN agencies (OHCHR and ESCAP), the Pacific Climate Justice and Sea Level Rise Week, 25–28 May in Suva. The convening brought together Forum, SPC and UN members to consider the 2025 International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change as it relates to ongoing work in the Pacific on climate action and advancing climate justice. Participants considered

UNEP participated and supported the event on “The Role of Law and Judges”, the first of its kind, held during the 15th Conference of the Parties to Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on 24 March 2026. It included the participation of UNEP’s Deputy Executive Director, Elizabeth Mrema, and Deputy Director of the Law Division and CMS Executive Secretary-designate, Andy Raine. Other participants included judges, policymakers, government representatives, civil society representatives, and colleagues from MEAs Secretariats. Organizers: The High Court of Justice

The Model Forest Act Initiative (MoFAI) presented the latest draft of the General Part of the Model Forest Act at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) Conference and Steering Committee Meeting and secured endorsement to formally elevate the initiative to the IUCN Council. ADB Assistant General Counsel (Law and Policy Reform) Christina Pak highlighted progress made since the preliminary draft launch at COP30 (November 2025) and outlined the roadmap towards completion of the General Part, alongside the executive summary of the

MoFAI convened its first Partners and Advisory Council Meeting on 2 December 2025, with the Executive Board, Advisory Council, Drafting Committee, and Secretariat. Participants reaffirmed MoFAI’s “shopping cart” approach and advised on next priorities, including refining the preamble/principles, considered the 2025 ICJ climate advisory opinion “Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change” , addressing bioeconomy-driven wood demand (including the role of planted/secondary forests), and strengthening integrity and anti-corruption safeguards. Partners also highlighted the Legislative Guide

On November 13th, 2025, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, delivered a speech on “The judiciary for climate justice and environmental rule of law” to celebrate the Justice, Climate and Human Rights Day during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30). In the speech, Inger mentioned several current crises, including rising temperature, inadequate climate finance, and human rights violation under climate change. She also emphasized the importance of improving international architecture in place to make fast progress on climate