The World Judicial Conference on Environment was held in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province. Over 160 participants, including Chief Justices, Justices, Presidents and judges of supreme courts, constitutional courts, supreme administrative courts and local courts, and foreign diplomats from 27 countries and representatives of international organizations attended the Conference.
Under the theme of “The Role of the Judiciary in Advancing Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth”, participants exchanged ideas regarding the role of the judiciary in global environmental governance, adjudication principles of environmental cases, judicial protection of biodiversity and judicial response to climate change. They also discussed the status and role of courts and judges in promoting the environmental rule of law and shared the achievements and successful experiences of the participating countries in judicial protection of the environment.
The conference also adopted the “Kunming Declaration of the World Judicial Conference on Environment." In the declaration, countries around the world should enhance the judicial response to the environmental crisis to address climate change and its effects, conserve biodiversity, and prevent and control environmental pollution.
Diversified judicial measures are advocated in the declaration, including actively adopting preventive judicial measures, preferentially applying restorative judicial measures, exploring and improving the public interest litigation system, and encouraging the use of diversified dispute resolution methods.
Organizers: Supreme People's Court of the People’s Republic of China and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
(Photo: China Daily Press)