WCEL Reschedules 2nd World Environmental Law Congress as Series of Regional Events

This past year WCEL made the decision to postpone the 2nd World Environmental Law Congress (originally planned for Rio de Janeiro in March 2020) in response to the global health risks posed by COVID-19.

Last Spring the WCEL Steering Committee agreed to split the global Congress into a series of converging regional hybrid events. The regional events will consider A Critical Decade for Environmental Law by expanding upon the original themes of the 2nd World Environmental Law Congress. The focus on the future, in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is an innovative look forward to and beyond the next decade for the legal discipline. In light of emerging and continuing global challenges, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, all regional Congresses will reaffirm, further develop, and advance the 2016 World Declaration on the Environmental Rule of Law and set the stage for the design of its implementation guidelines.

The following three regional events have been scheduled to take place prior to the IUCN World Conservation Congress:

• Inter-American Environmental Law Congress (Mexico City, Mexico, 8-9 July 2021)
• Inaugural Oceania Environmental Law Conference in conjunction with the Oceania Environmental Law Congress (Suva, Fiji, 14-16 July 2021)
• Africa Environmental Law Congress (Rabat, Morocco, 29-30 July 2021)

WCEL is also planning to hold regional events in Europe and Asia later in the year.

For more information, please visit the website for the 2nd World Environmental Law Congress here.