CIEL Press Releases and Current Announcements

If you have any questions or comments regarding announcements, please contact CIEL's Administrator.

June 2009: In a dialogue with member states, CIEL urges the Human Rights Council to take action to ensure that climate change does not harm human rights. CIEL statement available here.
June 2009: IP Quarterly Update warns about the pharmaceutical companies using scare tactics on counterfeit medical products to co-opt public health concerns for higher IP protection and enforcement.
June 2009: CIEL works with partners to support a Treaty on Copyright Exceptions and Limitations at WIPO. A summary of the meting available is here.
May 2009: CIEL presents Issue Brief on Climate Change and Human Rights in Bonn, Germany.
May 2009: CIEL organizes Technology and Finance Workshops at D92 NGO Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and provides discussion papers on Technology Cooperation, Trade and Climate Change, and Legal Architecture.
May 2009: CIEL Plays Decisive Role in Global Chemicals Conference.
May 2009: Climate Action Network urges the UNFCCC to include an effective technology transfer mechanism in the Copenhagen climate deal.
May 2009: CIEL Expresses Concern about the Violation of Human Rights and Environmental Destruction Involved in the ATCA Case against Royal Dutch Shell.
May 2009: CIEL reports on the listing of nine chemicals under the StockholmConvention on POPs.
April 2009: CIEL congratulates IPEN colleagues Olga Speranskaya of Eco-Accord Russia and Yuyun Ismawati of Bali Fokus Indonesia, recipients of the 2009 Goldman Environmental Prize!
April 2009: CIEL prepares for fourth Conference of the Parties meeting for the Stockholm POPs Convention by contributing to IPEN "Quick Views" summary of key NGO positions.
April 2009: The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is pleased to award the annual CIEL International Environmental Law Award to Antonio A. Oposa Jr.
March 2009: CIEL participates in two international conferences on Extractive Industries and Indigenous Peoples.
March 2009: The Friedrich Erbert Foundation and the Center for International Environmental Law cordially invite you to to a panel discussion and launch of the new publication Practical Approaches to Integrating Human Rights and Climate Change Law and Policy.
February 2009: Investigation Finds that OPIC Denied that Project-Affected Community is Indigenous, Did Not Comply with its Policies
February 2009: CIEL Applauds Breakthrough Agreement on Mercury
February 2009: CIEL is pleased to announce that we have hired attorney David Azoulay to work with our Chemicals Program and to lead our new nanotechnologies project.
February 2009: The International Finance Corporation Improperly Interferes in Pending Investigation on Biofuels.
February 2009: Border Wall -- Waiving the rule of law along the Mexico - United States border.
December 2008: CIEL to host A Rights-Based Approach to Conservation, with Professor Dinah Shelton, on Thursday, December 11, 2008.
December 2008: CIEL addresses the Human Rights and Climate Change Interface in a Conference at WCL celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights
November 2008: CIEL prepares analysis of the Asian Development Bank's proposed "Country Systems Strategy" for civil society consultations on the ADB's proposed "Safeguard Policy Statement.
November 2008: CIEL participates in OHCHR consultation on Human Rights and Climate Change
October 2008: CIEL provides support for Maldives submission to UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights.
October 2008: CIEL Participates in an International Anti-Corruption Conference.
October 2008: CIEL joins launch of the NGO "SIN List 1.0" in Brussels.
October 2008: CIEL plays central role in October 10, 2008 recommendation of governments on a global policy framework to address the mercury pollution crisis.
October 2008: Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on business & human rights, John Ruggie, thanks CIEL and colleagues for the "extensive analysis" in their submission, "The International Finance Corporation's performance standards and the Equator Principles: respecting human rights and remedying violations?"
September 2008: CIEL applauds adoption of Dakar resolution on the future of the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS).
September 2008: Addressing global environmental challenges: What to expect from future dispute settlement panels?
September 2008: CIEL to speak at the World Conservation Forum
August 2008: CIEL and colleagues find that the International Finance Corporation and leading international banks do not have a robust framework for minimizing the social risks posed by their projects.
August 2008: Major International Investment Arbitration Decision Acknowledges Role of Arguments put Forward by NGOs
July 2008: CIEL attends first open WTO Appellate Body hearing in the famous Hormones dispute
July 2008: CIEL welcomes the decision by the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization to open to the public the hearing on appeal in the latest stage of the Hormones cases
July 2008: CIEL looks at lessons to be learned by civil society and developing countries from negotiations for the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement
July 2008: UN Body Supports Transparency in New Arbitration Rules
June 2008: CIEL and IISD call for an end to an era of secrecy in investor-State arbitration: UN body must support transparency in new arbitration rules
June 2008: American Bar Association awards CIEL President Daniel Magraw its 9th Annual Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy
May 2008: CIEL discusses options for suspending intellectual property protection to enforce WTO Dispute Settlement Rulings
April 2008: Civil Society Organizations urge World Bank President Zoellick to reform process for selecting panel members to the World Bank accountability mechanism
April 2008: CIEL participates in event on World Bank-Financed Water Projects on 15 April 2008.
April 2008: CIEL and partners webcast the meeting between civil society and candidates for Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization
April 2008: CIEL discusses the World Bank's Country Systems approach at the World Bank Spring Meetings
April 2008: CIEL supports secretariat at UNEP Mercury Partnership meeting, Geneva, 1-3 April 2008
April 2008: Colombia: The Human Impact of Trade, War, and the Rule of Law
April 2008: U.N. Resolution adopted on Human Rights and Climate Change
April 2008: CIEL urges Inter-American Development Bank Executive Directors to ensure much-needed reform of the IDB Accountability Mechanism
March 2008: Victims of Biofuel: Nicaraguan Communities Affected by IFC-Funded Ethanol Plant File Complaint
March 2008: CIEL, on behalf of the Government of Germany, prepares Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) thought starter exploring whether the mobility of lead and cadmium through international trade may warrant coordinated international action to protect human health and the environment
March 2008: CIEL plays leading role in developing Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) background paper and draft resolution on the future of IFCS
March 2008: CIEL discusses environmental protection and investor-state disputes at an international seminar in Chile
March 2008: CIEL co-hosts Climate Change Event at American University's Washington College of Law on March 20, 2008
February 2008: CIEL and partners publish reports and presentations from a Capacity Building Workshop on the Relationship between the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Convention on Biological Diversity
February 2008: Block of countries refuses to discuss transparency in investor-State arbitrations
February 2008: CIEL has a unique opportunity to direct its Climate Change Program in our Washington, D.C. office
February 2008: CIEL participates in a technical and informal workshop on WTO Disciplines on Fisheries Subsidies, sponsored by UNEP and WWF
January 2008: Call for Protection for Indigenous Peoples in Isolation in the Peruvian Amazon (Llamado Para La Protección De Los Pueblos Indígenas En Aislamiento En La Amazonia Peruana)
December 2007: CIEL identifies key issues that need to be resolved in the coming negotiations to implement the Bali Plan of Action roadmap for a future international agreement on climate change
December 2007: CIEL requests precautionary measures for the protection of Cacataibo indigenous peoples in isolation in the Peruvian Amazon
December 2007: CIEL produces a paper for UNEP on EEZ Fisheries Access Arrangements and the WTO Subsidies Agreement

December 2007: CIEL challenges the European Free Trade Association over their anti-development pursuit of intellectual property provisions in Free Trade Agreements with developing countries
December 2007: CIEL publishes A Citizen's Guide to the OPIC Accountability Mechanism to help give local communities affected by OPIC-supported projects a voice in the development process
November 2007: November 2007: CIEL prepares UNEP paper, "Analysis of Possible Options to Address the Global Challenges to Reduce Risks from Releases of Mercury" (UNEP(DTIE)/Hg/OEWG.1/2), and serves as legal expert to the secretariat of the first Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Mercury.
November 2007: CIEL challenges the European Free Trade Association over their anti-development pursuit of intellectual property provisions in Free Trade Agreements with developing countries
November 2007: Rwanda tests the WTO's Public Health exception and seeks to import generic HIV/AIDS medicines from Canada. CIEL and the South Centre analyze the issue in the Third Quarter edition of the South Centre/CIEL IP Quarterly
November 2007: CIEL and partners request web-casting of EC - Bananas hearing at the World Trade Organization
November 2007: CIEL urges the World Trade Organization to move towards greater coherence.
November 2007: CIEL Launches “A Citizen’s Guide to WIPO”, a guide for enabling and enhancing the effective participation of civil society in intellectual property policy-making at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
October 2007: Traditional Knowledge, Folklore and Genetic Resources: Developments at WIPO and other Multinational Flora
October 2007: CIEL and a Coalition of European and Latin American NGOs submit an amicus curiae brief to the WTO's Appellate Body in the Brazil-Retreaded Tyres case
October 2007: CIEL Welcomes Environmental Defenders, Carlos Albacete and Piedad Espinosa Albacete
October 2007: CIEL Launches “A Citizen’s Guide to WIPO”, a guide for enabling and enhancing the effective participation of civil society in intellectual property policy-making at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
September 2007: CIEL and IBC work together to safeguard the rights of the Catataibo Indigenous Peoples threatened by Oil exploration in Amazonia
September 2007: CIEL raises issues relating to global governance and the inter-linkage between trade and climate change at the World Trade Organization's Public Forum
September 2007: CIEL hosts panel discussion on Civil Society Participation in the World Intellectual Property Organization, in parallel with the launch of CIEL’s “A Citizen's Guide to WIPO”, 1 October 2007
September 2007: Indigenous groups and other local communities are demanding protection for their Traditional Knowledge and Heritage, but is the World Intellectual Property Organization listening? CIEL publishes an analysis of WIPO’s proposed framework for the protection of Traditional Knowledge
September 2007: CIEL urges UNCITRAL to amend their arbitration rules to make investment disputes more transparent and participatory
September 2007: CIEL announces Climate Change Program Partnership with Philip Blumberg, Chairman of Blumberg Capital Partners
September 2007: CIEL and WWF express concern about the European Commission's decision to appeal in WTO dispute on Retreaded Tyres
August 2007: CIEL Criticizes Weak North American "Regulatory Cooperation" on Chemicals
August 2007: Does the World Intellectual Property Organization's proposed framework on Traditional Knowledge meet the needs of indigenous peoples?
August 2007: CIEL publishes “Putting Health on the Fast Track: Compliance with the Doha Declaration on Public Health as a Principal Negotiating Objective for Trade Promotion Authority”
July 2007: Despite efforts by NGOs and Indigenous and Local Communities, WIPO fails to move forward on norms for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge, Folklore and Genetic Resources
June 2007: Environmental chapter of the Peru trade agreement marks a significant step forward
June 2007: CIEL publishes materials from its workshop on Intellectual Property, Economic Partnership Agreements and Sustainable Development, which took place on 12-13 May 2007, in Brussels, Belgium
April 2007: A coalition of human rights and environmental organizations file an amicus curiae brief in an investment arbitration concerning access to water and sanitation in Buenos Aires, Argentina
March 2007: CIEL and partner NGOs file an amicus curiae brief in the Biwater-Tanzania case
March 2007: American University and CIEL co-sponsor a March 21st conference to address issues and potential conflicts surrounding the Arbitration of Investment Disputes and Human Rights
March 2007: Global warming and human rights gets hearing on the world stage
March 2007: CIEL analyzes the human rights responsibilities of International Financial Institutions at a public hearing held at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights
February 2007: CIEL publishes Intellectual Property, Bilateral Agreements and Sustainable Development: The Challenges of Implementation, the first in a series of papers on strategies for challenging, negotiating and implementing IP provisions in free trade agreements with the US
February 2007: ICSID tribunal accepts civil society organizations as amici curiae in the Suez/Vivendi case
February 2007: February 2007: CIEL submission to human rights committee requests inspection of Ethiopia's treatment of indigenous peoples in the Omo National Park
February 2007: Tribunal in Biwater v. Tanzania grants CIEL and Partners opportunity to file a written submission
February 2007: CIEL and IISD submit proposal to the UNCITRAL Working Group on Arbitration to amend rules for disputes involving States
February 2007: CIEL participates at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya from 20-25 January 2007
December 2006: Political Deal on European Chemical Law Paves Way for Passage
December 2006: Civil Society Organizations request amicus curiae status, "Friend of the Court," in international arbitration proceedings against Tanzania
November 2006: CIEL calls on the World Health Organization to take a stand against bad Public Health IP provisions in Bilateral Free Trade Agreements. See our submission to the online public consultation of the historic World Health Organization Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property
November 2006: CIEL co-sponsors a discussion in Geneva on Access to Medicines five years after the signing of the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health at the 2001 WTO Ministerial meeting in Qatar. (Tuesday, 14 November 2006)
November 2006: CIEL and NGO colleagues comment on Environment, Health and Safety Guidelines of the World Bank
October 2006: At ICNRD Conference on Democracy, CIEL stresses the importance of transparency and public participation in international institutions and processes
October 2006: CIEL and IUCN-Canada to facilitate the 2006 UNEP North American Regional Civil Society Consultation in Washington, D.C., November 2-3 at the United Nations Foundation
October 2006: CIEL and partners welcome the second open hearings in WTO dispute settlement history and ask parties to make open hearings their policy
September 2006: CIEL Urges UNCITRAL Member Governments to Adopt More Transparent and Participatory Arbitral Rules for Disputes Involving States
September 2006: D.C. Circuit establishes dangerous precedent in upholding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's critical use exemption rule for methyl bromide
August 2006: CIEL and partners organize Workshop on Intellectual Property and Regional Trade Agreements in Cape Town, South Africa on October 6th, 2006
July 2006: CIEL and partners file amicus curiae brief in the Brazil - Retreaded Tyres case
July 2006: CIEL participates in the WIPO Development Agenda Discussions held in Geneva June 26-30, 2006
June 2006: CIEL requests that the World Trade Organization consider a web-cast public hearing in the Brazil-Retreaded Tires case
June 2006: FTAs and sustainable development: The example of EFTA and other upcoming challenges
June 2006: CIEL requests that the European Comission make available to the public its initial written submission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Panel in the Brazil-Retreaded Tires case
May 2006: On June 7, CIEL and the Berne Declaration will host a discussion on "FTAs and sustainable development: The example of EFTA and other upcoming challenges"
May 2006: The WTO dispute panel issues its final ruling on the European Communities - Measures affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products (EC-Biotech) case
May 2006: On May 18, CIEL co-organizes workshop in Sao Paulo, Brazil to highlight key issues in the WTO Brazil-Retreaded Tires case
May 2006: CIEL forecasts brighter days ahead for reforming antiquated U.S. toxics law
April 2006: CIEL responds to questions about POPs legislation from Chair of House Subcommittee
March 2006: CIEL participated in the 4th World Water Forum (WW4F) and other events, held in Mexico City
March 2006: CIEL publishes first in-depth analysis of the EC-Biotech Interim Report
March 2006: CIEL, American University Washington College of Law, and other partners organize workshop on "Intellectual Property, Free Trade Agreements, and Sustainable Development"
March 2006: Results and recommendations of the EU's Sustainablity Impact Assessments must feed into trade policy-making and negotiations
March 2006: CIEL joins the International POPs Elimination Network in adopting the IPEN Dubai Declaration for a Toxics-Free Future
March 2006: On March 28, CIEL and WCL will host a conference on International Financial Institutions and International Law
March 2006: With Congress clashing over rival bills to implement the global POPs treaty, CIEL releases analysis and testifies at House hearing
February 2006: CIEL and the American University Washington College of Law will co-sponsor a discussion on the current and future status of international chemicals regulation, February 22, 2006
February 2006: CIEL conducts an initial legal analysis of the WTO Panel's public conclusions in the controversial GMO case
January 2006: Environment and Trade: A Guide to WTO Jurisprudence (December 2005) is a new publication authored by CIEL lawyers, and published by Earthscan Publications Ltd.
January 2006: The ECA Watch Coalition submits comments regarding the implementation of the OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits
December 2005: CIEL participates in the Sixth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China
December 2005: Inuit File Petition with Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Claiming Global Warming Caused by United States Is Destroying Their Culture and Livelihoods
November 2005: CIEL responds to Parliamentary vote on REACH chemicals legislation
ovember 2005: 68 Civil society groups submit open letter slamming WTO procedural irregularities in GATS negotiations -- WTO Director General responds
November 2005: The Legal Dimensions of Climate Change: A Conference by and for the Legal Profession identified many important roles for lawyers in addressing global warming. Follow-up actvities to be announced soon.
November 2005: CIEL Facilitates the 2005 UNEP North American Regional Civil Society Consultation
October 2005: CIEL finds the environment is left behind in Doha negotiations
October 2005: Civil society organizations promote clear and objective guidelines for adequate access to information and public participation at the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants
September 2005: CIEL Attends First Open Dispute Proceedings At The World Trade Organization
September 2005: CIEL calls on Congress to demonstrate "essential elements of U.S. leadership" in implementing legislation for the Stockholm Convention on POPs.
August 2005: In consultation with Switzerland, CIEL produces a study on Principles and Approaches of Sustainable Development and Chemicals Management for the Preparatory Committee for the Development of a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
July 2005: CIEL and partner organizations urge U.S. government to ensure that intellectual property rules in the Andean FTA support the conservation and sustainable use of the unique biological resources of the Andean region
July 2005: CIEL prepares study on Possible Options for the Establishment of a Financial Mechanism for the Implementation of the Rotterdam Conventio
July 2005: Despite US foot-dragging, G8 leaders send a strong signal on global warming
July 2005: CIEL co-organizes discussion on the WTO's non-agricultural market access negotiations and the environment
June 2005: New CIEL report spotlights progress by leading U.S. States on global pollutants, calls on Congress to ratify the international POPs treaty
June 2005: CIEL unveils US POPs Watch, a new website dedicated to U.S. ratification of the Stockholm Convention
June 2005: ICSID Tribunal Affirms its Power to Admit Amicus Curiae Participation
May 2005: CIEL, a participating organization in the International POPs Elimination Network, joins IPEN in congratulating governments for a successful first meeting of the Stockholm POPs Convention
May 2005: CIEL President Daniel Magraw speaks at event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute s, and honoring Antonio Parra and his tenure as Deputy Secretary-General of ICSID
March 2005: Opening the Floodgates: The Implication of a Human Right to Water
March 2005: CIEL joins dozens of public interest groups in calling on President Bush to support U.S. ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which entered into force on Sunday, February 27
February 2005: As the Kyoto Protocol enters into force, the United States must substantially reduce its emissions to prevent an Arctic meltdown and an end to the Inuit way of life
February 2005: South Centre and CIEL IP Quarterly Update: Fourth Quarter 2004 considers possible strategies for the intellectual property and development agenda in the WTO in 2005 and beyond
February 2005: Aarhus Convention: The Working Group of the Parties fails to reach agreement regarding genetically modified organisms at February 2005 meeting in Geneva, Switzerland
February 2005: CIEL and its Argentine Partners request trasparency and participation in the ICSID Suez case affecting access to water and sanitation in Buenos Aires
February 2005: CIEL Participates in Experts Meeting on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Development Agenda and Treaty On Access To Knowledge
December 2004: CIEL and other civil society organizations express concerns over USTR's proposed appellate mechanism in the investment chapter of the Dominican Republic / Central American - U.S. Free Trade Agreement
December 2004: CIEL chairs UNEP North American Regional Civil Society Forum
December 2004: Inuit Leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier Announces Intention to File a Human Right Claim Against the U.S. for Its Dangerous Greenhouse Gas Emissions
November 2004: CIEL President Daniel Magraw challenges the Washington Post's claim that the Kyoto Protocol is a "Symbolic Treaty"
November 2004: Action Alert: CIEL's analysis of the World Bank's proposed country systems approach identifies nearly 150 areas of policy weakening and 20 areas of strengthening
November 2004: CIEL attends the Fourth Meeting of the Aarhus Convention's Working Group on Genetically Modified Organisms on 18th to 20th October, 2004
October 2004: CIEL and the Bern Declaration organize roundtables on ways to improve compatibility of the patent system with the CBD
October 2004: CIEL participates in the 11th Annual International Law Career Forum hosted by the Washington College of Law's International Law Society
October 2004: Wangari Maathai is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2004
October 2004: CIEL Trustee Delphine Djiraibe awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for 2004
September 2004: CIEL's President Daniel Magraw comments on Russia's decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol
September 2004: Autumn Events in the Trade & Environment Community
September 2004: CIEL and other NGOs support the inclusion of the Development Dimension in the World Intellectual Property Organization
September 2004: CIEL Joins 41 Environmental, Health, and Labor Organizations urging Congress to support effective legislation to implement the Stockholm POPs Convention
September 2004: Head of Inuit group testifies about the Melting of the Arctic -- and the threat this represents -- at the McCain climate change hearing
August 2004: CIEL helps protect the rights of Indigenous Communities Displaced by the Ralco Dam along the Upper BíoBío River in Southern Chile
August 2004: New study shows parts of Greenland Ice Sheet thinning at rate of 10 meters per year
July 2004: Eight states file Global Warming Lawsuit against utilities, bolstering claim by Inuit that US greenhouse gas emissions violate their human rights.
July 2004: July 2004: CIEL and partners convince leaders of House Energy and Commerce Committee to delay consideration of POPs Implementation Bill
July 2004: In testimony before Congress, CIEL calls on legislators to reject Republican proposals to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act, and to support a bill that will faithfully reflect the spirit and letter of the Stockholm POPs Convention
July 2004: The Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee releases its report on the U.S. - Bahrain Free Trade Agreement to the United States Trade Representative
June 2004: Methanex Corporation v. United States of America, Application of Amici for Leave to File a Post-Hearing Written Submission
June 2004: California Environmental Law Challenged by Foreign Investors Using NAFTA: Methanex v. United States of America hearing open for public viewing begins Monday, 7 June 2004
June 2004: Environmental, Consumer, Farm Groups Submit Amicus Brief in Controversial WTO Case Involving Genetically Modified Organisms
May 2004: CIEL Celebrates Entry into Force of Persistent Organic Pollutants Treaty
April 2004: Separate Comments on the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement
April 2004: CIEL submits recommendations to the United Nations Environment Programme on the Terms of Reference for the Stockholm Convention Persistent Organic Pollutants Review Committee
April 2004: CIEL Attorney Publishes Article Suggesting Legal Tools to Limit CO2 Emissions from New Coal-Fired Power Plants
April 2004: Eighteen of America's most prominent environmental organizations express deep concerns about the Bush Administration's approach towards implementing the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
April 2004: The South Centre/CIEL Joint Project on Intellectual Property presents its Quarterly Update of intellectual property developments in multilateral, plurilateral, and bilateral fora
April 2004: CIEL confirms that Bush Administration's claims on constitutionality of proposed Stockholm Convention legislation have no basis in U.S. law.
March 2004: CIEL Sponsors 4th All Asia Public Interest Environmental Law Conference while Launching Two Publications on Community Based Property Rights
March 2004: Groups Defend California’s Right to Protect Public Health: Canadian Corporation’s NAFTA Suit Threatens State Sovereignty
March 2004: CIEL provides Separate Comments to TEPAC Reports on the recently completed U.S. - Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement
March 2004: Civil Society Organizations meet in preparation for the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organization
March 2004: CIEL and other civil society organizations express concerns over U.S. government revisions of its draft model Bilateral Investment Treaty
March 2004: Public interest groups reject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's February 25th draft amendments to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act that would implement the Stockholm POPs Convention
February 2004: The Center for International Environmental Law is pleased to announce the creation of the Louis B. Sohn Fellowship in Human Rights and Environment
February 2004: Persistent Organic Pollutants treaty achieves fiftieth ratification; Stockholm POPs Convention set to enter into force May 17.
February 2004: CIEL and partner organizations urge the United States Congress to oppose the recently completed Central American Free Trade Agreement, which threatens to undermine environmental protections in both the U.S. and Central America
February 2004: CIEL works to advance specific human rights of indigenous peoples at the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 7) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
February 2004: In an unprecedented decision, the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes allows Limited Public Participation in the Methanex vs. the United States case
January 2004: CIEL continues its efforts to bring greater Transparency and Public Participation to trade negotiations
January 2004: CIEL and partners share their Concerns regarding Intellectual Property in the FTAA with the Committee of Government Representatives on the occasion of the Third Issue Meeting in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
January 2004: CIEL participates in civil society hearings in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
January 2004: Environmental Protection and International Arbitrations: Reflections on the Pig War
December 2003: Inuit Circumpolar Conference plans human rights action against US for damage to the Arctic caused by global warming.
December 2003: CIEL proposes an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol's Cap and Trade System for developing countries at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention, 1-12 December 2003 in Milan, Italy
December 2003: CIEL and other NGOs urge World Trade Organization Members to drop the Four Singapore Issues from the Doha work program and from the WTO negotiating agenda
November 2003: International Tribunal in Brazil Condemns Violation of Rights of Landless Workers and the Environment
November 2003: From the investment tent at the Americas Trade and Sustainable Development Forum in Miami: CIEL contributes to a synthesis of major concerns about investment and the FTAA
November 2003: Civil society organizations call for Additional Public Participation in FTAA Negotiations: Existing forums are inadequate and exclude many - Organizaciones de la sociedad civil llaman a una Mayor Participación en las Negociaciones del ALCA: los Foros existentes son insuficientes y excluyen a muchos
November 2003: CIEL participates in Seminar on Environmental Subsidy Reform - How to Tackle Harmful Subsidies, to be held in Prague on November 21, 2003
November 2003: Legal Experts Voice Concerns as Trade Ministers Meet in Miami, November 16-21
November 2003: CIEL to propose an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol's Cap and Trade System for developing countries at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention, 1-12 December 2003 in Milan, Italy
November 2003: CIEL and World Wildlife Fund presented GATS, Water and the Environment: Implications of the General Agreement on Trade in Services for Water Resources at the GATS, Water and the Environment Workshop on November 4th in Geneva, Switzerland
November 2003: U.S. Senate to fails to pass the Climate Stewardship Act -- the most important climate change legislation ever presented to Congress -- despite widespread support among the American public for the measure
November 2003: Civil society organizations challenge the latest Revised Draft OECD Recommendation on Common Approaches on Environment and Officially Supported Export Credits of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
October 2003: CIEL expresses concerns over the proposed Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project to the International Finance Corporation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
October 2003: The Inspection Panel: Accountability and Participation at the World Bank; Remarks of Daniel B. Magraw, President Center for International Environmental Law, as presented at the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund on September 22, 2003 in Dubai, UAE
September 2003: CIEL Responds to EPA's denial of its own authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act
September 2003: Will the World Trade Organization deliver on its promises to promote environmentally sustainable development at its 10-14 September Meeting in Cancun, Mexico?
September 2003: CIEL Focuses on the relationship between Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property at the Global Biodiversity Forum in Cancun, Mexico
August 2003: CIEL Signs on to Letter to USTR's Ambassador Zoellick to Oppose the Initiation of Investment Negotiations within the World Trade Organization
July 2003: CIEL and other civil society groups launch campaign denouncing the lack of Internal Transparency in the run up to the WTO's 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun this September
July 2003: Civil society groups call on the European Union to withdraw its demands for the expansion of the World Trade Organization at the upcoming Fifth Ministerial Conference in Mexico
July 2003: U.S. - Chile and U.S. - Singapore Free Trade Agreements Are Wrong Models for the Environment
June 2003: "Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun" previews issues surrounding the upcoming WTO 5th Ministerial Conference
June 2003: Responding to a complaint from Pehuenche Communities in southern Chile, the CAO of the World Bank's International Finance Corporation has recently released its Assessment Report of IFC's involvement in the Pangue/Ralco Hydro-electric Project
June 2003: CIEL sends letter to USTR's Ambassador Zoellick regarding potential inclusion of the grant of jurisdiction in the Free Trade Area of the Americas
June 2003: CIEL to attend "Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun", a symposium sponsored by the World Trade Organization on issues facing the multilateral trading system
June 2003: Environment and health organizations call on the U.S. Senate to include a timely and effective mechanism in pending domestic legislation that will enable the United States to regulate POPs Chemicals as they are added to the Stockholm Convention
June 2003: CIEL joins the IPEN Steering Committee in preparing and submitting suggestions to UNEP regarding elements of a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM)
June 2003: Environment and health organizations call on the U.S. Senate to include a timely and effective mechanism in pending domestic legislation enabling the United States to regulate POPs Chemicals as they are added to the Stockholm Convention
June 2003: Civil society organizations around the world call on the International Commission on Large Dams to incorporate the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams into their new Code of Ethics
June 2003: Sign the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Hazardous Chemicals
June 2003: CIEL presents a paper on Corporate Accountability and Foreign Investment on the occasion of the fifth Ministerial Conference “Environment for Europe” in Kiev, Ukraine.
May 2003: Will the U.S. join Worldwide Effort To Protect Public Health, or is it pay-back time for Big Tobacco campaign contributors?
May 2003: CIEL joins public interest organizations across the United States
and the globe in demanding that the Bush Administration abandon its efforts to
derail the new Tobacco Control Convention
May 2003: CIEL signs on to civil society declaration calling for No Investment Negotiations at the World Trade Organization
April 2003: NAFTA Environmental Commission documents U.S. failure to enforce Migratory Bird Law Against Loggers
April 2003: CIEL releases publications analyzing aspects and problems of current International Trade Negotiations
April 2003: CIEL's staff issues statement on the War in Iraq
April 2003: Investment, Sustainable Development and the World Trade Organization: Allies or Antagonists?
April 2003: Over sixty civil society organizations call for greater transparency and public participation in President Bush's Central American Free Trade Area negotiations
March 2003: CIEL Hosts Meetings on the nature of implications to a WTO Investment Agreement
March 2003: Peoples World Water Forum proposes alternatives to and recommendations for the trend to liberalize and privatize water services
March 2003: CIEL Comments on the Draft "Procedures to Submit Objections Concerning the Japan Bank for International Cooperation's Guidelines for Confirmation of Environmental and Social Considerations"
February, 2003: CIEL expresses concern regarding the TEPAC Report on the recently completed U.S. Free Trade Areas with Chile and Singapore
February, 2003: CIEL Reports Back on its workshops on Trade & Investment and Human Rights & the Environment held at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from January 23 - 28, 2003
February 3003: CIEL questions President of Inter-American Development Bank over systematic problems with the structure and procedures of the Independent Investigation Mechanism
February 2003: Secretive World Bank Tribunal Bans Public and Media Participation in Bechtel Lawsuit Over Access To Water
February 2003: CIEL and IISD welcome comments on their joint working paper The State Of Trade Law And The Environment: Key Issues For The Next Decade
January 2003: Bush Administration finally complies with court order to Release US-Chile Free Trade Pact Documents
January 2003: CIEL Organizes Workshops on Trade & Investment and Human Rights & the Environment at the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from January 23 - 28, 2003
January 2003: CIEL Bestows Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Development of International Environmental Law to Louis B. Sohn
December 2002: Court Orders Bush Administration Must Give Trade Documents to the Public
November 2002: CIEL and other NGOs call on Trade Ministers to reject unofficial and exclusive Mini-Ministerials and Green Room Meetings prior to and at the World Trade Organization's Fifth Ministerial
November 2002: Global Warming, Energy and the World Summit on Sustainable Development
October 2002: CIEL and other Environmental Organizations express concern over the Doha Multilateral Trade Negotiations and Agenda in the World Trade Organization
October 2002: Environmental NGOs submit letter to Congressional Oversight Group on Trade Policy
October 2002: CIEL launches paper: "One Species, One Planet: Environmental Justice and Sustainable Development" presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa
October 2002: CIEL works with other NGOS to urge Senate Approval of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
October 2002: Environmental Organizations petition U.S. Ambassador Zoellick regarding the General Treatment Provision in upcoming United States - Chile free trade agreement negotiations
September 2002: Roundtable and Reception: The Road to Cancun - Implications of the World Trade Organization's 5th Ministerial Meeting
September 2002: CIEL, Oxfam and IATP announce Statement on Investment for the 16 - 17 September World Trade Organization Investment Meeting
August 2002: CIEL and Earthjustice File Petition on behalf of Bolivian partners and others in the investment dispute stemming from the "Water War" in Cochabamba, Bolivia
August 2002: CIEL Comments on the Draft Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 25 August to 4 September 2002
August 2002: CIEL announces its schedule of Side Events at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and publishes a series of Issue Briefs for the event
June 2002: U.S. Fast Track Conference Bill Neither Reflects America's Environmental Values nor Addresses Fundamental Problems with Investment Rules
June 2002: CIEL and WWF urge WTO Members to Adjust Current GATS Negotiations to Conduct a Thorough and Transparent Assessment of Services Trade Liberalization
May 2002: CIEL and Other Non-Governmental Organizations Hold Workshop on Trade, Competition, and Investment at the International Environment House in Geneva, Switzerland
May 2002: CIEL comments on the revised Chairman's Paper to be negotiated at the fourth preparatory meeting for the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development
May 2002: CIEL launches book: Whose Natural Resources? Whose Common Good? Towards a New Paradigm of Environmental Justice and the National Interest in Indonesia
April 2002: Public Serives Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) - Aren't They Worth Protecting?
April 2002: The Experts Seminar on Human Rights & Environment, Sponsored by CIEL and CEDHA in March 2002, Provides Recommendations to the Organization of American States
April 2002: CIEL and Other Groups Praise President Bush's Stand Against Commercial Killing of Whales
March 2002: CIEL and CEDHA to Host Experts Seminar on Human Rights and Environment at American University March 19th.
February 2002: Confererence on Sustainable Development in the New Round: Trade, Investment and Environment After Doha on 13 -14 May 2002
February 2002: CIEL and Other Groups Call on President Bush to Attend Upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development
February 2002: CIEL Condemns President Bush's Greenhouse Gas Plan as Inadequate to Fight Global Warming Threat
February 2002: Intervention by World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law with Respect to Contractual Clauses on the Access to Genetic Resources and Traditional knowledge
February 2002: Intervention by the World Conservation Union and the Center for International Environmental Law on the Agenda item on Traditional Knowledge as Prior Art
February 2002: The International Network for Environmental Compliance to Host Sixth Conference in Costa Rica, 15 -19 April 2002. Papers are Invited.
January 2002: International Anti-toxics Groups Urge Canadian Government to Resist Industry's Challenge of Pesticide Ban
January 2002: Open Letter on the March 2002 WTO Symposium on Assessment in Trade of Services