World Judges Adopt Action Plan to Strengthen Environment

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 28, 2002

World Judges Adopt Action Plan to Strengthen Environment

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An action plan to strengthen the development, use and enforcement of environment-related laws has been adopted by over 100 of the world's most senior judges and made public at the on-going Earth Summit Tuesday in Johannesburg.

Living in a good environment is one of the basic human rights that need to be protected by the judiciary institutions of all countries, said Arthur Chaskalson, chief justice of South Africa at a press conference here.

"Our declaration and proposed program of work are, I believe, a crucial development in the quest to deliver development that respects people and that respects the planet for current and future generations and for all living things," he said.

The action plan, which was adopted at the Global Judges Symposium closed here on Aug. 20, said the fragile state of the global environment requires the judiciary to boldly and fearlessly implement and enforce applicable international and national laws in the fields of environment and sustainable development.

And this will assist in alleviating poverty and sustaining an enduring civilization, it says.

"The field of law has, in many ways, been the poor relation in the world-wide effort to deliver a cleaner, healthier and ultimately fairer world," said Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which organized the symposium.

Currently, there are over 500 international and regional agreements, treaties and deals covering everything from the protection of the ozone layer to the conservation of the oceans and seas. Almost all countries have national environmental laws too.

And this will assist to alleviate poverty and sustain an enduring civilization, it says.

"But unless these are complied with, unless they are enforced, then they are little more than symbols, tokens, paper tigers," he said.

Chaskalson, the co-host of the symposium, said that many people, especially in developing countries, know little or are not even aware of the existence of environment-laws, therefore, they can't protect their due rights.

On the other hand, many judiciary institutions find it hard to implement and enforce the laws because of a lack of capacity building especially in developing countries, he said, citing India as an example.

There is an urgent need for a concerted and sustained program of work focused on education, training and dissemination of information, said the action plan.

The equality between the powerful and weak nations in their capacity to protect global environment places a greater responsibility on the former, according to the action plan.

Chaskalson said that the action plan will be presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a contribution by the symposium tothe Earth Summit.

Source: Xinhua

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