International Environmental Law-making and Diplomacy Review 2006

This document synthesizes lectures from the 2006 University of Joensuu–UNEP course on international environmental law-making and diplomacy, held in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and targets present and future negotiators. It explains negotiation blocs, the European Union’s role, and the design of compliance mechanisms under multilateral environmental agreements. It then surveys biodiversity issues, recounts the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Cartagena Protocol, and reviews national implementation and policy frameworks. Further chapters analyze traditional knowledge, access and benefit-sharing in Brazil, invasive species via ballast water, marine conservation under the Helsinki Convention, species categorization pitfalls, and a South African World Heritage case study. Interactive exercises simulate ABS bargaining, rules for the Cartagena compliance committee, coordination of national positions, and introduce the Global Environment Facility.