29 Oct 2018 Blogpost Environmental rights and governance

Greening the judiciaries in Africa: the second regional symposium

UN Environment has been at the forefront of strengthening the capacities of institutions in Africa to mainstream environmental law in judicial training institutes. In August 2018, in Maputo, Mozambique, UN Environment held a regional symposium to provide technical assistance to African countries to integrate environmental law into judicial curricula in Anglophone, Lusophone and Francophone African judicial training institutes.

The symposium was part of efforts by UN Environment to enhance institutional capacities as well as policy and legal frameworks to achieve internationally agreed environmental goals and to further integrate environmental law training in the judiciaries of Africa.

“It is critical to develop and enhance the capacity of judges, courts, and tribunals across the world to exercise their role in environmental matters through the effective implementation, compliance, and enforcement of the law,” said Justice Antonio Benjamin.

The gathering saw a meeting of several chief justices, presidents of regional and national courts, heads of environmental tribunals, supreme court judges and heads of judicial training institutes from 39 countries in the African region.

The symposium served as a platform for the heads of judiciaries to discuss the emerging trends on adjudication of environmental cases; cooperation, advancement of human rights and the rule of law; and promotion of a sustainable judicial education.

In order to curb environmental crimes in Africa, countries need to be committed to developing sustainable education programmes on environmental law for the judiciaries in Africa in an effort to prevent such crimes. Following the symposium, Maputo has committed to develop and integrate environmental law into its judicial training programmes, also known as The Maputo Declaration.

Finalization of regional frameworks that include relevant curriculums and training manuals as well as the Charter of the Africa Judicial Network on Environmental Law is in the offing following the conclusion of this symposium.

For more information, please contact Robert.Wabunoha[at]un.org