International Development Law Organization

Workshop: Environment, Justice and People

CONNECTING THE DOTS ACROSS THE SDGS - Lessons learned from biodiversity mainstreaming

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development brings together a range of environmental sustainability goals previously addressed across several agendas. This represents a shift in the way environmental sustainability is viewed, from a stand-alone issue under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to integrated targets across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). No longer only relevant to environmentalists, environmental sustainability is now understood as critical to a wide spectrum of development issues from reducing poverty, advancing gender rights, protecting ecosystems, and making production and consumption sustainable. “Integration” of environmental and development issues is emerging as a key priority across sectors, one example being “biodiversity mainstreaming,” chosen as the focus of the 2016 Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Another key innovation of the 2030 Agenda is the recognition of “peace, justice and strong institutions” as a stand-alone goal – SDG 16. Recognition is growing across environmental agendas that while much progress has been made in scientific and technical solutions, a missing link has been supporting and scaling-up this progress with clear legal and policy frameworks backed by accountable institutions and empowered people.

IDLO, with funding from the Swiss Confederation and SwedBio, is hosting a workshop in The Hague to discuss these recent major advances under global agendas on the themes of “environmental sustainability” and “law and justice.” The workshop will bring together experts, countries and agencies working in these fields to share legal innovations emerging in their field, and frame the design of effective law and justice approaches to achieving the environmental sustainability goals within the 2030 Agenda.

The workshop will focus on these guiding questions:

  • What connections and synergies can help achieve interlinked goals across respective environmental agendas?
  • What is SDG 16 and how can it contribute to achieving the environmental sustainability goals under the 2030 Agenda?
  • What are elements of a “law and justice” approach to achieving environmental sustainability under the SDGs?
  • What kind of support and partnerships can catalyse action to use “law and justice” approaches to implement environmental sustainability goals under the 2030 Agenda?

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ARE CURRENTLY BEING ACCEPTED. PLEASE CONTACT VIA EMAIL FOR MORE INFORMATION. SPACE IS LIMITED.

Experts and interested stakeholders are also encouraged to take this survey.

The workshop's framing paper and agenda are available below for download. 

Related Download(s):