Stakeholder Forum is recruiting for a New York-based Head of United Nations Relations

Stakeholder Forum is recruiting for a New York-based Head of United Nations Relations

The purpose of this role is to act as the focal point for Stakeholder Forum and its work in New York and at the UN Headquarters, including liaising with UN Missions and governments, UN staff and stakeholders. This role is vital in ensuring we have strong and active relationships with key actors in international sustainable development, and includes leading our engagement with the various UN processes agreed at Rio+20, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the post-2015 Development Agenda.

This position is crucial to the success of our future work, and therefore we are looking for the highest calibre individual possible.

Click here to view the full job description

To apply for the position, please send your CV and cover letter to jobs@stakeholderforum.org

The application deadline is 18:00 on 24 July, 2013.

RESPONDER Invitation: Linking Policy and Science for Sustainable Innovation, 10-11 October 2013, Brussels

On 10 and 11 October 2013 the 3^rd EU Dialogue on linking SCP and Growth Debates, supported by the European Commission, will take place in Brussels. The Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI) is coordinating this event as part of the EU project RESPONDER. The project’s overall goal is to promote sustainable consumption by exploring novel ways of knowledge brokerage that help to improve the management of potential political, social and economic contradictions with economic growth. For more information on the project, please visit our website http://www.scp-responder.eu/.

 

On behalf of the RESPONDER Consortium, we have the pleasure to invite you to a 1.5 day journey to explore emerging issues around the topic of innovation. A selected group of policy makers and researchers from across Europe will come together to discuss areas of contention between sustainable consumption and economic growth from the perspective of innovation. The overall aim is to exchange knowledge on how to deal with these contentions and arrive at a tangible impetus for effective policy development, while also pointing to areas that still require research. In particular, the debate will focus around three themes:

 

- Technological Innovations and Sustainability

- Innovation in the Context of Growth & De-Growth

- Social Innovation and Sustainable Consumption/ Production

 

Given your engagement with our central topic of innovation and/or sustainable consumption and production, we would really value your insights and hope very much that you will be able to join us.

 

Please find a briefing note for this event on the following website: http://www.scp-responder.eu/events/eu_dialogue

 

Registration will be open until 30 July 2013. Registration is free of charge. Please note that the number of participants is limited. Hence, we kindly ask you to register as soon as possible online via http://www.scp-responder.eu/events/eu_dialogue.

 

Poster Walk

Finally, we would like to extend the invitation and give you the opportunity to present your projects, theses, results, questions, etc. on a poster. The poster walk will take place on 10 October following the lunch break. Participants are requested to be present at their designated posters during the poster session to answer any questions. If you would like to present a poster at the conference, we ask you to send an abstract by August 31st. You will be notified by September 7th, whether your poster is accepted and provided with further instructions at that time.

 

For any further questions about the event, please contact us eudialogue@responder.eu.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Postgraduate Course in Management of Development Projects - EPFL, Switzerland

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE - Certificate of Advanced Studies in Management of Development Projects

http://cooperation.epfl.ch/madepro

The Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is pleased to announce the Call for Applications for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Management of Development Projects (MaDePro).

This program proposes an integrated and interdisciplinary approach and targets professionals in both Northern and Southern countries who wish to pursue a career in development or international cooperation and/or individuals from various organizations who want to broaden their understanding of development issues.

The course is based on a North-South scientific partnership. It gives participants an opportunity to improve their knowledge in such aspects as development, technology and project management directly linked to the reality and actual experience in the field in such a "heterogeneous" country as India where poverty co-exists with vast scientific expertise and local know-how. The training provides a chance to share the different standpoints and experiences of Europe and Asia.

The program is structured in three parts, all which are compulsory:

- Part 1 (30 September 2013 - 2 March 2014) involves 20 weeks of e-Learning covering such aspects as: International Environment, Sustainable Development, Main Development Issues, Technology for Development, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Project Management.
- Part 2 (17 March 2014 - 30 March 2014), is full time, lasts 2 weeks and will be held in India and will focus on field activities.
- Part 3 (31 March 2014 - 15 June 2014), consists of an individual project.

The course uses a wide range of tools including: e-Learning, lectures, field trips, case studies, group work, individual project, etc.

Applicants must have a university degree and very good English.

Full and/or partial grants may be offered to participants from developing and emerging countries that are not able to meet the total costs involved. Note that grants either full or partial will not cover the cost of travel to/from India.

For full information and application procedure refer to our website http://cooperation.epfl.ch/madepro.

Only applications following the instructions detailed and submitted via the online submission system on the program webpage will be accepted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 31 July 2013, by midnight local Swiss time.

SDGs e-Inventory: Initial stocktaking analysis of visions for future global goals

 

 

 

 SDGs e-Inventory: Initial stocktaking analysis of visions for future global goals

Stakeholder Forum has produced an initial stock-taking analysis of the future goals proposals housed within the Sustainable Development Goals e-Inventory. The analysis provides a breakdown of the thematic areas that the proposals address, as well as a snapshot of the individuals and organisations that have put forward recommendations for global goals.

With support from partners in all global regions, the SDGs e-Inventory provides all stakeholders with a platform to outline what they think future universal goals for sustainable development should look like.
 
The online tool is available in three languages (English, Spanish and French), and also provides a searchable database to help stakeholders – including governments and intergovernmental organisations – keep track of the wide range of recommendations being developed on SDGs, and other global goals being proposed as part of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

 
 View the web based analysis or download the PDF
 

Whether you are working on a particular theme, or looking at a range of issues which span the Post-2015 Development Agenda, we want to know your vision for the new global goals framework.

Submit your proposal 

 

 

GBIF Annual Report and Science Review for 2012 now available

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has published its Annual Report for 2012, alongside a new Science Review detailing peer-reviewed papers making use of GBIF-mediated data. 

 

The Science Review compiles over 230 research publications that cited use of data accessed through GBIF in 2012. They were extracted from a continuing programme by the GBIF Secretariat to monitor scientific literature and tag papers according to use, discussion and mention of GBIF, through the Mendeley academic archiving platform.

 

The review is divided into sections for key subject areas covered by GBIF-assisted research. They include invasive alien species, impacts of climate change, species conservation and protected areas, agriculture and human health.

 

Among the summary highlights listed in the annual report are:

·         An increase of nearly 20 per cent in data published through GBIF from institutions around the world, reaching 382 million species occurrence records by December

·         Over half a million visitors to the GBIF global data portal, with over 22,000 recorded data downloads

·         The decision of Brazil to join GBIF as a national Participant

·         The demonstration of an early version of a toolkit to help countries and organizations start up a website on biodiversity

 

The GBIF Annual Report 2012 is available online at http://www.gbif.org/orc/?doc_id=5304 and the Science Review at http://www.gbif.org/orc/?doc_id=5287. Printed copies can be requested from info@gbif.org.

World Forum on Natural Capital 21st & 22nd November 2013

The inaugural World Forum on Natural Capital will be the first major global conference devoted exclusively to turning the debate on natural capital accounting into action. It will build on the enormous private sector interest shown at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio in June 2012 and the many developments that have taken place since.

To find out about the conference visit www.naturalcapitalforum.com.

ICIMOD Vacancy Announcement : Senior Gender Specialist (25 June 2013)

Terms of Reference

Title: Senior Gender Specialist

Thematic Area : Livelihoods

 

Apply Now

 

Background

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Our aim is to influence policy and practices to meet environmental and livelihood challenges emerging in the HKH region. To do this we bring together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional collaboration. ICIMOD delivers impact through its six Regional Programmes of Adaptation to Change, Transboundary Landscapes, River Basins, Cryosphere and Atmosphere, Mountain Environment Regional Information System, and Himalayan University Consortium (emerging). These regional programmes are supported by the four Thematic Areas of Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services, Water and Air, and Geospatial Solutions and underpinned by Knowledge Management and Communication. ICIMOD seeks to improve the lives and livelihoods of mountain women and men, now and for the future. 

 

The Livelihoods Thematic Area focuses on promoting diversified and sustainable livelihood options in the HKH region. It seeks to enhance understanding of the human-environment interface, rural-urban linkages, and driving forces of change and their underlying causes. It also provides expertise on Strategic Institutional Functions such as gender, governance, poverty and inclusive development, and economic analysis to further ICIMOD’s goals. As mountain women and girls are often disproportionately affected by climate and socioeconomic changes, ICIMOD aims to strengthen its work on gender and social equity through the integration of, and increased focus on, gender analysis in its programmatic work and by making ICIMOD a more gender-sensitive workplace. 

 

ICIMOD is looking for a gender expert who is capable of providing strategic and intellectual leadership on gender and natural resource management issues; integrating gender dimensions into ICIMOD’s Regional Programmes, initiatives and Thematic Areas; implementing the gender strategy outlined in the Mid-term Action Plan III (MTAPIII); and analysing the development policies, programmes, and strategies of ICIMOD’s regional member countries from a gender perspective with a view to informing policy and ensuring a gender-positive impact. 

 

Responsibilities and tasks

Under the direct supervision of the Livelihoods Theme Leader and the overall guidance of the Director of Programme Operations, the Senior Gender Specialist will be responsible for:

• strategic leadership of  the ‘Strategic Institutional Function – Gender’, which was established to ensure gender-positive and transformative outcomes and impacts;
• promoting the four pillars of gender transformative change formulated in the development strategy contained in the MTAPIII, namely: gender integration within regional programmes and gender-focused work; capacity strengthening and women’s leadership; policy and partnership development; and gender transformative organizational change; 
• collaborating with and providing guidance and leadership to ICIMOD’s Thematic Areas and Regional Programmes and initiatives to integrate gender issues and analysis in the context of natural resource management into programmatic areas and thematic issues; 
• providing technical input and guidance on gender issues in the planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of Regional Programmes and initiatives to ensure expected results; 
• promoting and scaling out relevant gender concepts, approaches, and analytical frameworks to apply in the Hindu Kush Himalayan context and strengthening the capacity of ICIMOD and its partners to integrate gender dimensions in their work; 
• carrying out gender analysis to generate sound evidence and justification for the promotion of gender equality in development policies, programmes, and initiatives in ICIMOD’s regional member countries and linking research to policy;
• building and maintaining a network of gender experts and female professionals within the region and beyond and acting as an expert and spokesperson on gender issues;
• providing inputs for project and programme development and monitoring and evaluation in order to integrate gender analysis and outcomes into Regional Programmes and initiatives;
• producing and ensuring high-quality research and knowledge on emerging gender issues and publications, and sharing knowledge with networks; 
• organizing, conducting, and contributing to internal and external training events, workshops, and seminars on gender issues to strengthen the capacity of partners and to share knowledge; 
• convening the gender resource team within ICIMOD; and 
• providing inputs to senior management on gender issues, challenges, and opportunities, and working as a team player in ICIMOD to promote gender equality and support activities that further strategic institutional goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced post-graduate academic degree such as a PhD in social sciences or related field (e.g., sociology, anthropology, international development studies, gender and women’s studies, political sciences, environmental studies); 
• At least 15 years substantial work experience including solid field experience in the area of gender, of which preferably a part has been gained in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region;
• Experience with qualitative and quantitative gender research methods and with the development and implementation of gender analysis and conceptual research frameworks in relation to gender; and
• Experience carrying out gender-focused work and integrating gender issues at the regional level in intergovernmental organizations. 

Competencies

• Knowledge: Sound knowledge and understanding of gender and natural resource management and development concepts, theories, analytical tools, approaches, and frameworks and sound intellectual and social skills to integrate and transpose critical gender frameworks, analysis, and methodologies into diverse disciplines, sectors, and contexts;
• Research skills: Sound knowledge of interdisciplinary research on gender issues and methodologies; experience in managing and coordinating regional research projects; a solid track record of publications in gender and social issues; and experience in conducting in-depth gender-based research and developing and implementing gender-sensitive methodologies;
• Management and coordination: An ability to plan and coordinate at the project and programme level including budgeting, project monitoring and evaluation, and effective task delegation; 
• Social/team competency: An ability to work effectively across teams with intercultural and inter-disciplinary sensitivity and to manage minor conflicts and contribute towards establishing commitment among team members and within the institution as a whole; 
• Networking/stakeholder management: An ability to identify qualified gender partners, maintain existing relationships, build new linkages, facilitate stakeholder processes, build the capacity of partners, and solve project issues;
• Results/impact orientation: A proactive approach within and outside the organization to generate concrete results on an output and outcome level and an ability to seek opportunities to transform output to outcomes and impact to improve gender equality and transformative change;
• Flexibility /innovation: An ability to introduce innovative approaches and lead and advocate for their development towards a continuous learning culture; and
• Report and proposal writing: An ability to independently write good quality project reports for different target groups and contribute to successful proposal writing and a good track record of high-quality writing skills and publications in peer reviewed journals.

Duration

The position will be for three years of which the first six months will be probationary, with the possibility of an extension at the end of the term, subject to ICIMOD’s future funding levels.

 

Starting Date

as soon as possible

 

Remuneration

The salary and benefits provided by ICIMOD are competitive compared to other regional organizations; remuneration will be commensurate with the applicant’s experience and qualifications.

 

Gender and Equity Policy

Qualified and eligible women candidates and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. ICIMOD implements a gender fair policy and is supportive of working women. It operates a Day-Care Centre at the campus and is committed to gender mainstreaming at the organisational and programmatic levels.

 

Method of application

Applicants are requested to apply online before 31 July 2013 through ICIMOD's Online Application System.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Contest for climate adaptation solutions

Rare and The Nature Conservancy have launched a contest that will award $20,000 to the best nature-based solution to climate adaptation, and we are actively seeking applicants and nominations.

 

Solution Search: Adapting to a Changing Climate aims to identify innovative and replicable climate adaptation solutions.

 

Academic institutions, NGOs and communities are all encouraged to submit their projects, and/or nominate others.  Applicants can submit their entries and view other submissions through July 19th atwww.solutionsearch.org.  Ten finalists will be selected by a panel of judges, and the public will vote for the winning solution in September. The winner will be featured in The Nature Conservancy’s magazine and receive $20,000 to help replicate their solution around the world.

 

Please feel free to forward this email, tweet about it, and contact either Katie Velasco of Rare (kvelasco "at" rareconservation.org) , or Kerry Crisley (kcrisley "at" tnc.org) or myself (flowenstein "at" tnc.org)  with questions.

 

To track the contest on twitter follow @solutionsearch. I’ll also be tweeting about it regularly via @flowenstein.

 

Regards,

Frank Lowenstein

 

Frank Lowenstein

Climate Adaptation Strategy Leader, Global Freshwater Team

Cell: 413-854-8319

Email: flowenstein@tnc.org

Twitter: @flowenstein

 

 

E-Coaching for young entrepreneurs: application deadline 1 July

Dear all,

 

The Youth Employment Network (YEN), an inter-agency programme of the UN, the ILO and the World Bank, offers a free E-Coaching programme for young entrepreneurs (16-35) who have recently started or are in the process of starting a business. Trained E-Coaches provide guidance (in Spanish, English, or French) to young entrepreneurs over a period of 3 to 12 months.

 

The application deadline for young entrepreneurs and potential E-Coaches to be considered for the next intake process is on Monday, 1 July 2013.

Interested entrepreneurs are invited to register as members of the YEN Marketplace (https://yenmarketplace.org/user/register) and then apply for E-Coaching (http://yenmarketplace.org/e-coaching).

 

Please share this information with your network of young entrepreneurs and potential E-Coaches.

 

If you have any question or would like to explore opportunities to collaborate with the E-Coaching programme (for example as pipeline partners), please contact us at yenmarketplace@ilo.org (Subject: E-Coaching).

 

This email is received from:

Youth Employment Network (YEN)

Inter-agency programme of ILO, UN and World Bank
International Labour Organization
CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland
More information: http://www.ilo.org/yen

Join: https://www.facebook.com/youthemploymentnetwork

APN 2013 Calls for Research and Capacity Building Proposals

APN is inviting proposals under two separate programmes, the Annual Regional Call for Research Proposals (ARCP) Programme and the Scientific Capacity Building/Enhancement for Sustainable Development in Developing Countries (CAPaBLE) Programme, for funding from April 2014, and is able to provide a limited amount of financial support for research and capacity development activities that fall within its areas of interest.

The following research topics are of particular interest to the 2013 Annual Calls:

1. Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (B&ES) including resiliency and main issues highlighted under the new APN B&ES Framework (http://www.apn-gcr.org/uploads/calls/2013/A%26C/FAQsAndOtherAssistance/Other%20Documents/APN%20B%26ES%20Framework%20%28Opportunity%20Paper%29.pdf);
2. Climate impacts on health, agriculture, livestock; 3. Water security (inland and ocean): in the face of extreme events; including management, quantity, quality, etc.; and 4. Energy/energy efficiency, carbon capture, case studies at community-based levels, biofuels, etc.

Other relevant topics of interest to the APN are listed in APN's Third Strategic Plan: http://www.apn-gcr.org/uploads/calls/2013/A%26C/FAQsAndOtherAssistance/Other%20Documents/APN%20Third%20Strategic%20Plan.pdf

Please note the following important deadlines:

Advisory Service (Voluntary). Submission of Letter of Intent: Sunday 30 June 2013 Stage 1: Submission of Summary Proposal (Compulsory): Sunday 11 August 2013 Stage 2: Submission of Full Proposal by the Successful Stage 1 Proponents (Compulsory and by Invitation Only): Sunday 13 October 2013

For further information please visit the APN website: http://www.apn-gcr.org/?p=5800&utm_source=biodiversity-l&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=calls2013

Call for Applications - UNU-EHS 2013 Resilience Academy - apply by 30 June

Dear friends,

 

You may find the announcement below useful. For further details, please visit https://www.ehs.unu.edu/article/read/call-for-applications-the-resilience-academy-exploring or write to Iacobuta@ehs.unu.edu.

 

Regards,

Tek  

 

This is a call for applications to the 2013 Resilience Academy: Exploring Livelihood Resilience

 

The Resilience Academy:

In the most vulnerable regions of our planet, the impacts of extreme weather events such as floods and droughts threaten lives and livelihoods. The most affected regions include large deltas, small islands, and exposed coastal regions, as well as arid and semiarid lands, and areas affected by glacier and permafrost melt. The Resilience Academy will provide a platform for connecting communities of expertise (early phase practitioners, academics, and policy analysts), examining livelihood resilience in the face of local and regional realities,and co-creating concepts to foster resilience.

 

Five Resilience Academies are planned, alternatively in Bangladesh and Germany. The first four Academies form two pairs. One cohort of participants will attend the first and second Academy; a second cohort will attend the third and fourth Academy. The fifth and final Academy will bring the two cohorts together. In each cohort, the participants will begin projects in the first year, and bring them into the second year.

 

Theme of the First Resilience Academy, 2013: Exploring Livelihood Resilience

Dates and locations:

Bangladesh: Dhaka, 15–21 September 2013

Germany: Munich, 2014

Applications deadline: 30th June 2013

For more information:https://www.ehs.unu.edu/article/read/call-for-applications-the-resilience-academy-exploring

GWP is recruiting: Senior Technical Officer

GWP is recruiting: Senior Technical Officer

 

The Global Water Partnership is a worldwide network and an intergovernmental  organisation, which supports countries to implement more equitable and sustainable management  of their water resources through building partnerships at local, national, regional and global level.  Created in 1996, the network now spans 83 Country Water Partnerships within 13 Regional Water Partnerships, with a Global Secretariat in Stockholm, Sweden.

 

The Senior Technical Officer position supports the GWP Chair, Executive Secretary, Chair of the Technical Committee and the Management Team in preparing key strategic messages and building linkages among the various parts of the GWP Network, GWPO and global strategic allies. The strategic messages will have a strong focus on the economics of water security in various dimensions, linking to the processes such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development framework.

 

Terms of Reference: http://www.gwp.org/About-GWP/Global-secretariat/Vacancies-and-Internships/Senior-Technical-Officer/

 

Please submit your cover letter and CV to technicalofficer@gwp.org before 9 July 2013.

 

---

Global Water Partnership (GWP) 
Drottninggatan 33 
SE-111 51 Stockholm, SWEDEN 
Phone: +46 8 1213 8600
Fax: +46 8 1213 8604
E-mail: gwp@gwp.org 
Website: www.gwp.org,  www.gwptoolbox.org

 

Fully-funded fellowship opportunity: United Nations / Nippon Foundation Ocean Affairs Fellowship

The United Nations – The Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme is a

fully funded research Fellowship for developing State ocean professionals. The main objective of the Fellowship is to provide advanced research and training in the field of ocean affairs and the law of the sea, and related disciplines, to government officials and other professionals from developing States.

Successful candidates will undertake their research/studies in two back-to-back phases: the first, lasting three months, with the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), UN Office of Legal Affairs; and the second, lasting six months, with a participating academic host institution. Fellowship application deadline is 15 September, and candidates should forward their applications directly to DOALOS.

Additional information, including the application package, detailed  application instructions, and a list of participating host institutions, is available on the Fellowship website: www.un.org/depts/los/nippon and www.unfalumni.org.

Call for Abstracts: Fourth National Research Conference on Climate Change

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and Centre for Science and Environment, under the banner Indian Climate Research Network, are organizing the Fourth National Research Conference on Climate Change, to be held at IIT-Madras on October 26-27, 2013. The conference will cover topics related to the scientific, technical, economic and policy aspects of climate change in South Asian countries, with a special emphasis on renewable energy. This event, the fourth in the series, intends to nurture and enhance a dedicated network of climate researchers.

We invite abstracts from faculty, students, civil society organizations and practitioners in the areas of climate science, impacts, mitigation, adaptation, disaster risk reduction and renewable energy. Abstracts should provide evidence of independent research and be of direct relevance to the South Asian context. Selected abstracts will receive a slot for presentation and poster session. There will also be panel discussions involving invited speakers from a range of different backgrounds. 

Submissions should include title, author affiliation(s), contact details and an abstract of up to 200 words, giving an overview of: Context, Methodology, Results and Implications. 

Researchers from all over South Asia are invited to send in abstracts. 

Submissions should be sent to icrn@icrn.in by August 14, 2013.

Abstract Submission deadline: August 14, 2013

Acceptance notification: August 26, 2013

Detailed conference announcement at: http://www.cseindia.org/node/4994

For more information, visit www.icrn.in

Fourth workshop on adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins, Geneva 25-26 June 2013

The "Fourth workshop on adaptation to climate change in transboundary basins: Adaptation serving multiple purposes" will take place on 25 to 26 June 2013 in Geneva back to back with the sixth meeting of the Task Force on Water and Climate on 27 June 2013.

Convened during the International Year of Water Cooperation the workshop will highlight examples of successful cooperation between stakeholders, sectors and countries in adaptation to climate change.

The workshop will bring together professionals from all over the world working on adaptation to climate variability and change especially -but not only- in transboundary basins.

The workshop will be organized in a way that sharing of experience will be optimized and will consist of an interesting combination of plenary presentations and discussions, smaller group discussions and exercises.

Working languages will be English, French, Russian and Spanish.

More information about the workshop can be found at :  http://www.unece.org/env/water/tranboundary_adaptation_workshop_2013.html

INTERNATIONAL LAW, GLOBAL GOVERNANCE AND THE EARTH CHARTER PRINCIPLES, 307 July 2012 in Costa Rica

Come to Costa Rica to join an intensive one-week programme with policy makers, lawmakers and researchers.

The programme is organized by Earth Charter Center on Education for Sustainable Development at the University for Peace/Earth Charter International, in collaboration with the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law.

The programme aims to empower participants to become competent leaders for sustainability and help them enhance their knowledge at the intersection of international law, global governance, and the Earth Charter. This course will help deepen understanding of our global governance system, international environmental law instruments, and options in order to make governance more responsive to the challenges humanity is facing.

This programme will offer participants the opportunity to analyse the different juridical instruments related to sustainable development and how these relate and overlap with the ethical principles expressed in the Earth Charter. The role and influence of soft law instruments will be analysed in light of global governance processes. The course examines the system of environmental law (at international, European Union, and national levels) with its normative principles (sustainability, justice, human rights) and institutional arrangements (civil society, governments, and international organisations). Among the subjects covered are structure and principles of international environmental law, history and ethics of sustainability, status and principles of the Earth Charter, reform of the UN governance system, and the role of democracy, citizens, and civil society.

The recently launched publication Earth Charter and International Law will serve as a reference in the course for the analysis of different juridical instruments and its correlation with the Earth Charter principles.  

Participants will gain in-depth knowledge of current environmental law and governance, and how these could be relevant for sustainability governance systems in their national contexts; in this sense, they will learn how to become agents for change, personally and professionally.

This programme will bring together professionals in law, environmental planning and science, policy makers, researchers and students of international law and governance with respect to sustainability and the natural environment.

Download the draft syllabus here.

This programme is part of the UNESCO Chair on Education for Sustainable Development with the Earth Charter.

Why participate in sustainability training?

The need for sustainability education stems from real life problems that affect all levels of societies around the world. Incorporating sustainability principles into our lives, communities and decisions can move societies towards a better, more sustainable future.  Some of the benefits of this program are:

•    Expanding your expertise in the field of international law, sustainability, and ethics.
•    Augmenting your ability to analyze the ethical dimensions of legislation.
•    Acquiring tools that assist in implementing sustainability in governance.
•    Networking within the global community of Earth Charter lawmakers and governance experts.

Why choose the Earth Charter? 

The Earth Charter serves as a practical ethical framework that can be a powerful guide for any lawmaking or governance activity. The Earth Charter is a document that was a result of a decade-long, global effort to articulate the values and principles of sustainable development. The ethical vision of these fundamental principles expresses a universal aspiration for a just, peaceful, and sustainable future, in order to promote the transition to more sustainable ways of living.

The new Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development offers training at the intersection of education, sustainability, and Earth Charter values. The center is designed by highly qualified instructors, who are committed to assist educators to improve their work, deepen their sustainability profile, and learn how to integrate and apply ethics as an essential element of education. The new facility is located at the UN mandated University for Peace and it is within one of the biggest natural reserves of the Costa Rican Central Valley, 30 km/20 miles outside of the capital, San José. The new Center has been designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. It is the first educational facility in Costa Rica to receive a LEED certificate.


Dates: 3 – 7 July 2013

Tuition: US$1,900* (This tuition fee includes course materials, a field trip, refreshments, lunches, and local transportation). 

10% discount for registration by 15 May 2013.

Limited places available!

All participants will be awarded a certificate upon completion of the course.

*Tuition also covers facilitation and administrative expenses incurred by the Earth Charter International Secretariat.

Professor

Klaus Bosselmann, PhD, is a Professor of Law and Director of the New Zealand Centre for Environmental Law at the University of Auckland. He has been a consultant for UNEP, IUCN, the EU and the governments of Germany and New Zealand and was a delegate at the World Summits of 1992 (Rio), 2002 (Johannesburg) and 2012 (Rio+20). He was involved in the drafting process of the Earth Charter and has a particular interest in sustainability ethics with respect to environmental law, human rights and global governance. Klaus was a visiting professor at leading universities in the United States, Canada, UK, Brazil, Italy, Hungary, Sweden and Germany. As Chair of the Ethics Specialist Group of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law, he currently coordinates several research collaborations in the area of sustainability law and governance. Klaus has also an active role in projects and annual conferences of the Global Ecological Integrity Group, a network of leading environmental scholars. He has authored or edited 25 books on environmental law, governance and political ecology; his articles appeared in many of the world’s leading law journals. In 2009, he was the Inaugural Winner of the Senior Scholarship Prize of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law.

These are some featured publications of Prof. Bosselmann :


BOSSELMANN, K., ENGEL R. and TAYLOR, P., Governance for Sustainability - Issues, Challenges and Successes, IUCN - The World Conservation Union, Environmental Law and Policy Series Vol.70, Bonn/Germany, 2008 






BOSSELMANN, K. and ENGEL, R. (eds.), The Earth Charter: A framework for global governance, KIT Publ., Amsterdam/NL, 2010






Accommodation

The cost for accommodation can range from US$50 to US$115 per day depending on what kind of accommodation you select. Please note that these are special rates offered to our organization. The following hotels are nearby and highly recommended, and in addition to receiving special rates, we also offer free transportation between the EC Educational Center and these hotels. 


Hotel Corteza Amarilla 

Hotel Canal Grande 

Studio Hotel 

Hotel Quality Real San Jose 

Quizur guest house - University for Peace campus

We can also arrange your stay with a Costa Rican family in nearby town, Ciudad Colón.

Payment

The tuition fee must be paid in full at the latest two weeks before the beginning of the course, otherwise you risk losing your spot in the course.

If you have already registered and paid the tuition fee, but can no longer attend the programme, please get in touch with us. It might be possible to transfer your registration and payment to another person from your organization or to another course.  80% of your tuition will be refunded only if we receive your cancellation two weeks in advance.

Program cancellation

If for some reason the programme is canceled or postponed, 100% of your payment will be reimbursed. However, Earth Charter International and the Earth Charter Center for ESD are not responsible for the reimbursement of travel tickets.

Travel insurance

Participants should carry health and life insurance. Earth Charter International and the Earth Charter Center for ESD are not responsible for covering medical treatment.

Click here to apply!

For more information, please contact: apply@earthcharter.org  Tel: (506) 2205-9000
Fax: (506) 2249 1929
Earth Charter Center for ESD at the University for Peace, P.O. Box 138-6100, San Jose, Costa Rica.