Implementation of Environmental Law
The Implementation of Environmental Law Branch comprises two units:
- Compliance with and Enforcement of Environmental Law, including Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs);
- Partnership for the Development of Environmental Law and Institutions
in Africa (PADELIA).
The Compliance and Enforcement Unit
This unit is dedicated to supporting the implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, including multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). The unit promotes compliance with and enforcement of MEAs at the national, regional, and global levels through the development and application of a range of tools. These include, for example, guidelines, legislation, institutional approaches, and cooperation. The unit also develops and strengthens the capacities of officials and institutions in the national and regional implementation of MEAs through the development of guidelines, principles, manuals, and other tools.
Major initiatives include:
- Development and implementation of Guidelines on Compliance with and Enforcement of Multilateral Environmental Agreements;
- Technical support to parties to the 1994 Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora;
- Assessment of environmental liability and compensation regimes, with
a view to ensuring that adequate information regarding all tools for implementation
is made available.
Partnership for the Development of Environmental Law and Institutions
in Africa (PADELIA)
With respect to the PADELIA programme, the Unit seeks to assist African governments in building capacities for the development, strengthening, implementation and harmonization of environmental legislation as well as related institutions for sustainable development and povery reduction.
PADELIA is a 10-year old Programme, successor to UNEP/UNDP/Dutch Joint Project on Environmental Law and Institutions in Africa . PADELIA is implemented systematically in thirteen African countries, in three sub-regions ( SAHEL , SADC, and EAC) and as far as possible with non-project countries (Project-wide activities). The vision is to nurture and enhance sound and sustainable environmental management practices in Africa though the development and implementation of environmental laws.
PADELIA's objectives are:
- To enhance understanding of the province and function of modern environmental law among the stakeholders in Africa and how access to environmental justice can be promoted effectively.
- To create a sound and sustained environmental management in Africa , where environmental law and associated institutions guard the threshold of sustainable use of natural resources.
- To promote, in Africa, the establishment of legal and institutional frameworks at national, regional or sub-regional level through development and/or strengthening and harmonization of laws and institutions including implementation of MEAs.
Visit the PADELIA web site and publications by clicking on the link below:
Web site: www.unep.org/padelia
Publications: www.unep.org/padelia/publications/publication.htm