Press/News Archive - Page 10 of 11 - Center for International Environmental Law

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 23, 2004 CIEL, in its role on the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC), helped shape TEPAC’s advice letters to Congress on the U.S.- Australia Free Trade Agreement and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). In a separate statement attached to the report, CIEL argues that the investment provisions of the agreements … Read More.

CIEL and other civil society organizations express concerns over U.S. government revisions of its draft model Bilateral Investment Treaty

March 9, 2004 During 2003-2004, the U.S. government has engaged in revising its model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and recently produced a draft model BIT. The impact of this model BIT is amplified by the fact that often negotiations between the United States and other governments will conclude by adopting the model unchanged (or with … Read More.

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 1, 2004 The Conference of the Parties is the highest decision-making body of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which promotes the protection of biodiversity as a foundation for ecosystem and human health. To date the Conference of the Parties has held 6 ordinary meetings, and one extraordinary meeting to adopt the Biosafety Protocol. … Read More.

Persistent Organic Pollutants treaty achieves fiftieth ratification; Stockholm POPs Convention set to enter into force May 17, 2004

February 17, 2004 After years of effort by governments, indigenous organizations, and environment and health groups throughout the world, a milestone in international chemicals management was reached this week when France became the fiftieth country to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS). “This landmark treaty addresses an entire class of some of … Read More.

CIEL prepares comments on behalf of the Steering Committee of the International POPs Elimination Network for submission to the United Nations Environment Programme Chemicals Division on the current Draft Guidance to the Financial Mechanism of the Stockholm Convention

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

RE: Oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) – Recently Released Text Falls Short on Environment February 17, 2004 Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of our millions of members, we are writing to express our opposition to the recently released text of the U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). The agreement would allow … Read More.

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

February 10, 2004 On January 30, 2004, the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) adopted procedures (http://www.worldbank.org/icsid/methanex.htm) for non-disputing party participation set out in part B of the Statement of the NAFTA Free Trade Commission on such participation regarding the Methanex vs. the United States case. In October of 2000, Earthjustice assisted … Read More.

Prepatory Committee for UNCTAD XI Hearing: Statement of Stephen Porter

January 16, 2004 Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you for the opportunity to address you today. I will briefly introduce my organization, the Center for International Environmental Law, and then address three specific topics: investment, the recent trend towards bilateral trade and investment agreements, and a few comments on the environmental … Read More.

Letter to Zoellick re. Enhanced Access to Information and Ability to Participate Effectively

January 13, 2004 Honorable Robert B. Zoellick United States Trade Representative Room 209A 600 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20508 Subject: Enhanced Access to Information and Ability to Participate Effectively Dear Ambassador Zoellick: Earlier this fall organizations from a number of countries around the globe met to create a network dedicated to promoting access to … Read More.

CIEL and other environmental and health groups release 10 principles to guide United States action on POPs under the Stockholm Convention

CIEL continues its efforts to bring greater Transparency and Public Participation to trade negotiations

January 29, 2004 CIEL supports the American Library Association and others by signing on to a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick urging access to information and transparency in bilateral and regional trade negotiations. In a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, CIEL and others sent letters to the United States Trade Representative … Read More.

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 29, 2004 Statement of the U.S. Alliance for Responsible Trade (also available in Spanish) Intellectual Property in the FTAA: Little Opportunity and Much Risk (also available in Spanish) Statement of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (also available in Spanish)

CIEL participates in civil society hearings in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

January 21, 2004 The Preparatory Committee for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) XI is holding “hearings” with representatives from Member States, civil society and the private sector on 16 January and 23 February 2004. The one-day hearings are designed as vehicle for civil society and the private sector to provide input … Read More.

Letter to Ms. Harrison, pursuant to USTR documents under FOIA

December 22, 2003 Ms. Sybia Harrison Freedom of Information Act Officer United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20508 Dear Ms. Harrison: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, Friends of the Earth – U.S., on behalf of itself, the Center for International Environmental Law, Natural … Read More.

Letter to Ms. Harrison, pursuant to USTR documents under FOIA

December 19, 2003 Ms. Sybia Harrison Freedom of Information Act Officer United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20508 Dear Ms. Harrison: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552, the Center for International Environmental Law, on behalf of itself and Friends of the Earth – US, Natural … Read More.

Inuit Circumpolar Conference plans human rights action against US for damage to the Arctic caused by global warming.

December 2003 At the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (December 10, Milan, Italy), Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), announced that the ICC is considering filing a claim with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the United States for the harm global warming is … Read More.

CIEL proposed 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 Summary The Kyoto Protocol is based on a system for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions called cap-and-trade. Cap-and-trade establishes emissions budgets for all participating countries and allows them to trade parts of their budgets with other participating countries. Under Kyoto rules, trading can occur at the governmental level or between private entities. Cap-and-trade … Read More.

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

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

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 29, 2003 CIEL is particularly concerned with the legal, environmental, and social ramifications of the proposed BTC Pipeline Project. CIEL’s primary concerns focus on three different realms of the project. First, CIEL finds that the BTC Project’s legal regime is an example of a trend in investment liberalization and protection that undermines democratic structures … Read More.

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 24, 2003 Americas Trade and Sustainable Development Forum INVESTMENT TENT Convened By The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Synthesis of Major Concerns On the Economics of Foreign Investment: Foreign direct investment (FDI) has the potential to increase well being by fostering economic development through transfer of … Read More.

CIEL participates in Seminar on Environmental Subsidy Reform – How to Tackle Harmful Subsidies, to be held in Prague on November 21, 2003

Seminar on Environmental Subsidy Reform – How to Tackle Harmful Subsidies Prague, November 21, 2003 Organized by the European Environment Bureau (EEB) The Seminar on Environmental Subsidy Reform – How to Tackle Harmful Subsidies aims, among other things, at promoting “subsidy reform as an instrument to move towards greater sustainability in a cost-effective way”. … Read More.

Environmental Activists Urge Passage of Legislation to Slow Global Warming

October, 2003 The McCain-Lieberman “Climate Stewardship Act (CSA)” is scheduled for a vote in the Senate this Thursday, October 30. “This is the first legislative proposal to deal seriously and comprehensively with the problem of global warming,” said Donald M. Goldberg, Senior Attorney with the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). “We can’t afford to … Read More.

U.S. Senate fails to pass the Climate Stewardship Act on October 30th, 2003

October, 2003 On October 30, 2003, the Senate voted, 43-55, to defeat the McCain-Lieberman “Climate Stewardship Act”. The CSA would have returned emissions of greenhouse gases in most major sectors of the economy to 2000 levels by 2010. It was the first serious attempt in Congress to stem the growth of emissions and grapple … Read More.

CIEL assists International Tribunal in Brazil which Condemns Violation of Rights of Landless Workers and the Environment.

November 2003 The International Tribunal for Crimes Committed by Latifundiums in Pará, took place in Belém (Pará, Brazil) from October 27-30, 2003. The Tribunal was held with the objective of drawing national and international attention to the repeated acts of violence and human rights violations committed by latifundiums (large land holders) in the northern Brazilian … Read More.

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 22, 2003 When it was created 10 years ago, the World Bank Inspection Panel (WBIP) was an innovative mechanism for accountability and governance. Most importantly, the panel provides a means for ensuring that World Bank policies and procedures are implemented by addressing the concerns of people who might be affected by Bank projects — … Read More.

CIEL Focuses on the relationship between Genetic Resources and Intellectual Property at the Global Biodiversity Forum in Cancun, Mexico

September, 2003 CIEL is organizing a session on “Implementing prior informed consent in access agreements in light of the Bonn Guidelines” at the upcoming Global Biodiversity Forum (GBF) in Cancun, Mexico, in September, 1993. The GBF was founded in 1993 by The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the World Resource Institute (WRI), the United Nations Environment … Read More.

CIEL prepares IPEN informational document to assist governments in the development of criteria to define “low POPs content” under the Stockholm POPs Convention

Public interest groups call on the U.S. Senate to create a meaningful adding mechanism for incorporating additional POPs pesticides into domestic legislation implementing the Stockholm POPs Convention.

CIEL responds to EPA’s denial of its own authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

September 23, 2003 CIEL joins the many states and environmental groups who have condemned the Bush Administration’s August 28 denial of a petition to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the federal Clean Air Act. At a time when the United States should be joining the world community in taking prompt, … Read More.

Will the World Trade Organization deliver on its promises to promote environmentally sustainable development at its 10-14 September Meeting in Cancun, Mexico?

September 3, 2003 From September 10-14, 2003, the World Trade Organization (WTO) will meet in Cancun, Mexico. The meeting, held once every two years, will bring together the trade ministers of over 140 countries, will assess progress to date on the Doha round of trade talks (due to conclude by the end of 2004) and … Read More.

CIEL Signs on to Letter to USTR’s Ambassador Zoellick to Oppose the Initiation of Investment Negotiations within the World Trade Organization

August 1, 2003 The Honorable Robert Zoellick United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Zoellick: As you know, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial meeting in Cancun this coming September will decide whether the WTO will undertake negotiations on investment liberalization as part of a package of so-called new … Read More.

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

September 2003 CIEL and other civil society groups , including IATP, IGTN, Oxfam, PSI, TWN and WWF, call for fair, transparent, and participatory WTO negotiating processes. The Center for International Environmental Law has signed onto a joint NGO letter directed to the Ambassadors at Missions in Geneva, Trade Ministers in capital, the WTO Director General, … Read More.

U.S. – Chile and U.S. – Singapore Free Trade Agreements Are Wrong Models for the Environment

July 9, 2003 Dear Member of Congress: As Congress prepares to consider the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), we are writing to convey our concerns regarding the environmental implications of these agreements. We urge Congress to insist that the environmental safeguards in these agreements be strengthened and to reject the use of … Read More.

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

CIEL joins the IPEN Steering Committee in preparing and submitting suggestions to UNEP regarding elements of a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management

June, 2003 IPEN Steering Committee’s submission to SAICM The IPEN Steering Committee prepared a paper on a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) in response to a call for contributions by UNEP on possible draft elements of a SAICM. All submissions received will be summarized in a UNEP paper and presented to the SAICM … Read More.

Sign the U.S. Declaration of Independence from Hazardous Chemicals

June, 2003 CIEL, working with the World Wildlife Fund and other environmental and health groups, helps develop a “U.S. Declaration of Independence from Hazardous Chemicals.” The signed declaration will be presented to the European Commission as a statement of U.S. popular support for European efforts to adopt safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals. Click here to … Read More.

“Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun” previews issues surrounding the WTO 5th Ministerial Conference

June 27, 2003 CIEL staff organized and contributed to panels addressing trade, investment and the environment in a public symposium in Geneva on June 16 – 18 that convened nearly a thousand participants. The World Trade Organization (WTO) hosted “Challenges Ahead on the Road to Cancun“, a lead-up event to its 5th Ministerial Conference in … Read More.

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 25, 2003 Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick United States Trade Representative 600 17th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Zoellick, I write regarding the grant of jurisdiction regarding investment agreements and authorizations contained in the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). I understand from a letter that the American Bankers Association and other … Read More.

CIEL signs on to civil society declaration calling for No Investment Negotiations at the World Trade Organization

May 6, 2003 We, members of civil society organizations from developing and developed countries, explicitly reject the launch of negotiations on investment and the other Singapore Issues at the Ministerial Conference in Cancun this September. We have gathered from a broad spectrum of civil society groups, including groups working on development, environment, faith-based, social, labor, … Read More.

NAFTA Environmental Commission documents U.S. failure to enforce Migratory Bird Law Against Loggers

April 23, 2003 Washington, D.C.: NAFTA’s environmental commission issued a report today that outlines the failure of the United States to enforce U.S. laws against loggers that prohibit the killing of migratory birds. After reviewing two cases in which loggers killed migratory birds or destroyed their eggs and nests, the commission concluded that the failure … Read More.

CIEL releases publications analyzing aspects and problems of current International Trade Negotiations

April 17, 2003 The WTO Services Negotiations – Some Strategic Considerations CIEL staff co-authored this paper for the South Centre, a Geneva based inter-governmental organization that works to reflect the views of the South. This paper forms part of the South Centre’s work to assist developing countries analyze and employ negotiating strategies in their services … Read More.

Over sixty civil society organizations call for greater transparency and public participation in President Bush’s Central American Free Trade Area negotiations

April 9, 2003 The Honorable George Bush President of the United States of America The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Bush: Tomorrow you will be meeting with the Presidents of Central America to discuss a Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that you have stated will bring prosperity to … Read More.

CIEL Hosts Meetings on the nature of implications to a WTO Investment Agreement

March, 2003 Together with other Geneva based NGOs (IATP, Oxfam, PSI, TWN and WWF), CIEL convened a series of meetings addressing possible future WTO rules on investment and other “new issues” (competition, trade facilitation and government procurement) Events addressing the Potential Implications of a WTO Investment Agreement Geneva, March 18-21, 2002 Human rights and … Read More.

Peoples World Water Forum proposes alternatives to and recommendations for the trend to liberalize and privatize water services

Peoples World Water Forum March 21 and 22, 2003, Florence, Italy While governments and the private sector from all over the world convened at the Third World Water Forum in Japan from 16 to 23 March, 2003, a number of civil society organizations, including CIEL, participated in parallel events in order to propose … Read More.

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

At the World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil January 26, 2003 Organized by the Center for International Environmental Law Speakers: Jorge Daniel Taillant, Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA), Argentina Daria Calguire, International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, (ESCR-Net), USA Marcos Orellana, Center for International Environmental Law, Chile Ryan Zinn, … Read More.

Secretive World Bank Tribunal Bans Public and Media Participation in Bechtel Lawsuit Over Access To Water

Citizens excluded from $25 million suit against Bolivia for company’s failed water privatization scheme For Immediate Release, February 12, 2003 For more information, please contact: Martin Wagner, Earthjustice (Oakland, CA) 510-550-6714 Marcos Orellana, CIEL (Washington, DC) 202-785-8700 Jim Shultz, The Democracy Center (Bolivia) 011 591 4 429 0725 Washington, DC-The Bechtel Corporation was handed a … Read More.

CIEL expresses concern regarding the TEPAC Report on the recently completed U.S. Free Trade Agreement with Chile and Singapore

February 28, 2003 CIEL, in its role on the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, helped shape TEPAC’s advice letters to Congress on the Free Trade Agreements with Chile and Singapore. In a separate statement attached to the report, CIEL argues that the investment provisions of the agreements are problematic and fail to meet the … Read More.

CIEL is a principal organizer of a workshop on Human Rights and the Environment at the 2003 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil

2003 World Social Forum The Third World Social Forum was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil from January 23 – 28, 2003. Around 100,000 participants from over 176 countries attended. CIEL hosted a workshop on Human Rights and the Environment on January 26 from 9 a.m. to noon. Environmental and human rights issues are closely … Read More.

CIEL organized a workshop at the Asian Social Forum, Hyderabad, India titled: “Environmental Justice: Linking Human Well being and the Environment” on January 6, 2003

Asian Social Forum 2003 The Asian Social Forum (ASF) was held in Hyderabad, India, from January 2 – 7, 2003, as part of the regional meetings of the World Social Forum. CIEL and the Environmental Justice Initiative organized a workshop at the ASF titled “Environmental Justice: Linking Human Well-Being and the Environment” on January 6, … Read More.

Bush Administration finally complies with court order to Release US-Chile Free Trade Pact Documents

FTAA Negotiations Next Target for Public Access February 3, 2003 The Bush Administration today made public documents revealing U.S. and foreign government positions in trade negotiations concerning the recently completed U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement. The documents offer the public its first view of a trade negotiating process conducted behind closed doors that will have dramatic … Read More.

CIEL organized and co-hosted the North America/South Asia Conversation on Environmental Justice in Sariska, India.

North America/South Asia Conversation on Environmental Justice December, 2002 In collaboration with the Environmental Justice Initiative and the Ford Foundation, CIEL organized and co-hosted a North America/South Asia Conversation on Environmental Justice from December 2 – 6, 2002 in Sariska, India. Believed to be the first ever of its kind, the conversation was designed to … Read More.

Court Orders Bush Administration Must Give Trade Documents to the Public

Ruling sets precedent for greater transparency in FTAA and future negotiations December 19, 2003 Washington, DC – A U.S. District Court today ordered the Bush administration to make public documents by revealing U.S. and foreign government positions in trade negotiations with potential impacts on domestic public health, labor, and environmental laws. The court ordered the … Read More.

Global Warming, Energy and the World Summit on Sustainable Development

November 2002 The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), recently concluded in Johannesburg, South Africa, had sustainable energy high on its agenda while global warming was missing in action. This disconnect virtually guaranteed that key decisions would fall short of the mark. The most important decisions were made elsewhere, when China and Russia, the world’s … Read More.

CIEL comments on the the Draft “Review of IFC’s Safeguard Policies”

November 5, 2002 The following are the Center for International Environmental Law’s (CIEL’s) comments on the September 25, 2002 Draft “Review of IFC’s Safeguard Policies“. CIEL thanks the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and its Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) office for this opportunity to comment on the Safeguard Policy (SP) Review. For nearly a decade, CIEL has … Read More.

CIEL and other NGOs call on Trade Ministers to reject unofficial and exclusive Mini-Ministerials and Green Room Meetings prior to and during the World Trade Organization’s Fifth Ministerial

The mini-ministerial in Australia is a step in the wrong direction for the WTO* November 2002 Civil society groups from around the world call upon the 145 WTO member states and their trade ministers to follow transparent and inclusive procedures and reject the use of ‘unofficial’ and exclusive mini-ministerials in the run-up to the … Read More.

Environmental NGOs submit letter to Congressional Oversight Group on Trade Policy

October 17, 2002 Dear Member of the Congressional Oversight Group on Trade Policy: We are writing to you in your role as a member of the Congressional Oversight Group (COG) on trade policy to share our views about the proposals for investment provisions in trade agreements that were recently presented orally by the Office … Read More.

Environmental Organizations petition U.S. Ambassador Zoellick regarding the General Treatment Provision in upcoming United States – Chile free trade agreement negotiations

September 19, 2002 Ambassador Robert B. Zoellick United States Trade Representative 600 17th St., NW Washington, DC 20508 Dear Ambassador Zoellick: We write regarding the General Treatment provision in the context of negotiations of the upcoming United States-Chile and other free trade agreements and bilateral investment agreements. As you well know, the environmental community … Read More.

Environmental and health groups urge Senators Jeffords and Smith to reject an amendment to the Toxic Substances Control Act that would allow the importation of PCB wastes into the United States.

CIEL, Oxfam and IATP announce Statement on Investment for the 16 – 17 September World Trade Organization Investment Meeting

Statement on investment for the September 2002 WTO Investment Meeting On 16 – 17 September 2002 WTO Members, meeting as the Working Group on the Relationship between Trade and Investment (WGTI), will hold their third formal meeting since the Doha Ministerial Conference. CIEL, IATP and Oxfam are concerned that this meeting constitutes another step … Read More.

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 29, 2002 Contact Info: Soren Ambrose (Washington, DC) 202-285-5836 Martin Wagner, Earthjustice (Oakland, CA) 510-550-6714 Jim Shultz, The Democracy Center (Bolivia) 011 591 4 429 0725/001-591-707-43631, [email protected] Marcos Orellana, CIEL, 202-785-8700 More than three hundred citizens groups from 41 countries presented a petition to a World Bank-affiliated court today, demanding that it allow … Read More.

U.S. Fast Track Conference Bill Neither Reflects America’s Environmental Values nor Addresses Fundamental Problems with Investment Rules

July 29, 2002 Re: Oppose H.R. 3009, the Fast Track Conference Report Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of the more than one million members of our organizations, we urge you to oppose H.R. 3009, the fast track conference report. Trade agreements should promote environmental stewardship and guard against the weakening of environmental standards. Unfortunately, … Read More.

CIEL and WWF urge WTO Members to Adjust Current GATS Negotiations to Conduct a Thorough and Transparent Assessment of Services Trade Liberalization

June 13, 2002 In their June 2002 services negotiating session, WTO Members moved further towards liberalizing trade in services, including energy, transport, tourism, and basic education and health services. WTO Members are likely to initiate a new bargaining phase to increase market access in such services without having conducted a thorough and comprehensive assessment … Read More.

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 Comments on the Revised Chairman’s Paper (Sections I – IX) dated 9 May 2002. Comments on the Paper on the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development dated 8 May 2002 Comments on the Chairman’s Paper dated 12 February 2002 (for PrepCom3) For more information on the World Summit on Sustaianble Development: www.johannesburgsummit.org

CIEL and Other Groups Praise President Bush’s Stand Against Commerical Killing of Whales

Public Services Under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)- Aren’t They Worth Protecting?

April 30, 2002 Services such as basic health, education or the provision of water – many of which are considered fundamental human rights – are increasingly under threat from certain aspects of the ongoing GATS negotiations. Based upon a CIEL research paper, Public Services International’s magazine FOCUS explains why and how WTO Member governments … Read More.

Public interest groups call on the Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Stockholm POPs Convention fully by including provisions in proposed U.S. legislation that will allow EPA to regulate POPs that may be added to the Convention in the future

CIEL Condemns Bush’s Greenhouse Gas Plan as Inadequate to Fight Global Warming Threat

February 14, 2002 The Bush Administration today released its long-delayed alternative to the Kyoto climate change treaty. The proposal was immediately derided by activists throughout the world as wholly inadequate to deal with the threats of global warming and as an attempt to distract nations from their commitment to Kyoto. The Administration proposes a … Read More.

CIEL and Other Groups Call on President Bush to Attend Upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development

The Johannesburg Summit 2002: A Call for Action February 2002 Nearly a decade ago, President George H. W. Bush and the leaders of more than 100 other nations made this commitment at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. This Earth Pledge was a recognition of the importance of the environment to our … Read More.

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 Thank you Mr. Chairman for allowing IUCN – the World Conservation Union and CIEL, the Center for International Environmental Law, Europe (CIEL) to take the floor. Regardless of the form and reach that norms and principles that guide the establishment of contracts on the access to genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge … Read More.

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 Thank you Mr. Chairman; IUCN – the World Conservation Union and CIEL, the Center for International Environmental Law, Europe (CIEL) consider: That existing patent systems and the recognition of intellectual property rights are not sufficient to guarantee the conservation of biological diversity nor the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and … Read More.

Read the Open Letter on the March 2002 WTO Symposium on Assessment in Trade of Services

March 2002 For more than a year, WWF and CIEL have monitored closely WTO discussions on the assessment of trade in services. Three joint statements have been published in conjunction with the special sessions of the Council for Trade in Services. WWF and CIEL have outlined a number of recommendations for conducting a thorough … Read More.

International Anti-toxics Groups Urge Canadian Government to Resist Industry’s Challenge of Pesticide Ban (A U.S. press release prepared by the Pesticide Action Network is also available)

International Anti-toxics Groups Urge Canadian Government to Resist Industry’s Challenge of Pesticide Ban The Hon. Pierre Pettigrew, P.C., M.P Minister for International Trade Lester B. Pearson Building 5th Floor, Tower B., 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A OG2 The Hon. David Anderson, P.C., M.P Minister of Environment Terrasses de la Chaudiere 28th … Read More.

CIEL and World Wildlife Fund call for Capacity Building and Technical Assistance for services trade assessment

Hard Work by Environmentalists Makes Climate Negotations in Marrakech, Morocco a success

November 2001 Years of hard work by CIEL and other environmental groups paid off on November 10, 2001 with the conclusion of the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 7), in Marrakech, Morocco. Negotiators at COP 7 wrapped up the “crunch issues” that needed to be … Read More.

Police arrest CIEL partner, an Environmental Activist, and a Opposition Leader in Tanzania

Environmental Organizations Blast Tanzanian Government for Attempts to Cover-up Allegations of Killings and Forced Evictions at Bulyanhulu Mine November 28, 2001 UPDATE! – November 29 – We have just learned that the Dar es salaam Police Commander has apparently decided that Mr. Mrema be release on police bail to” enable him recuperate from his diabetes.” … Read More.

Police arrest Environmental Activist, Opposition Leader in Tanzania

Environmental Organizations Blast Tanzanian Government for Attempts to Cover-up Allegations of Killings and Forced Evictions at Bulyanhulu Mine November 27, 2001 UPDATE! – November 29 – We have just learned that the Dar es salaam Police Commander has apparently decided that Mr. Mrema be release on police bail to” enable him recuperate from his diabetes.” … Read More.

CIEL attends Seventh Conference of the Parties in Marrakech, Morocco, October 29 -November 10

Compliance: A Critical Task for COP7 October 25, 2001 At COP7, Parties must: Complete and adopt the compliance text Ensure that all delegations faithfully adhere to the commitments their governments made in the Bonn Political Agreement Retain and strengthen provisions for public participation and transparency Last July 23 in Bonn, delegates, NGOs, and people … Read More.

Open Letter on Institutional Reforms in the WTO

Understanding Fast Track: Key Environmental Problems with the Thomas Bill

October 2001 Our organizations support trade agreements that encourage environmental progress and guard against direct attacks by trade rules on environmental laws. HR 3005, the Thomas fast track bill, falls far short on both counts — in a number of cases making n improvements upon the Crane fast track bill, and in others regressing … Read More.

CIEL prepares Legal Memorandum: Mandate of COP to Adopt Compliance Procedures and Mechanisms

Environmental and human rights NGOs call for independent review of Forced Displacement and Alleged Massacre at Bulyanhulu, Tanzania

September 27, 2001 Washington, D.C., September 27, 2001– Friends of the Earth-US (FoE), the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Mineral Policy Center (MPC) and other environmental and human rights groups in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Tanzania, call today for an independent review of accusations that thousands of … Read More.

Green Groups Call on USA to Ratify International Toxic Waste Dumping Ban as Part of Basel Treaty

For Immediate Release August 9, 2001 Washington D.C. — Environmentalists expressed strong disagreement today with the U.S. Administration’s stated intention of ratifying only the original 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal without ratifying a 1995 amendment to that treaty that effectively bans the dumping of hazardous … Read More.

CIEL signs on to comments on the proposed US-Chile Free Trade Agreement

This document is available in English and Spanish.

View NAFTA Investor Rights Plus: An Analysis of the draft Investment Chapter of the Free Trade Area of the Americas

This document is available in English and Spanish.

CIEL releases Comments on the Upcoming WTO Ministerial in Doha, Qatar

Bonn Agreement: A Milestone for Climate Protection

August 30, 2001 The Parties to the Kyoto Protocol achieved a victory for the earth’s climate by adopting a landmark Ministerial agreement at the resumed session of COP6 in Bonn in July, 2001. This agreement demonstrated the political will of the rest of the world to move this issue forward. It puts the Kyoto … Read More.

CIEL’s Summary of the Compliance Mechanism at the Bonn Climate Change Conference

Report to CAN on Compliance Section of Political Agreement (FCCC/CP/20001/L.7) Prepared by Glenn Wiser, CIEL July 25, 2001 Compliance was the last area that kept Parties apart throughout the marathon negotiating session of July 22-23. Japan, Canada and Australia were the final holdouts. Nevertheless, when agreement was eventually reached, we achieved a compliance system … Read More.

CIEL releases Potential International Strategy to stop the spread of invasive species

CIEL Attends Signing of Persistent Organic Pollutants Treaty in Stockholm

United States and over 120 Countries Agree to Reduce and Eliminate Twelve of the World’s Most Dangerous Chemicals June 2001 Representatives of over 120 countries gathered in Stockholm on May 22 to adopt a new global treaty on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The treaty commits states to work individually and collectively to reduce and … Read More.

Europe: A Committment to Kyoto (Op-Ed article in the Washington Post)

Washington Post, June 29, 2001; page A36 David Ignatius’s commentary “Parallel Fears for the Planet Earth” [op-ed, June 17] buys into one of the Bush administration’s big lies: that Europeans are hypocrites because they have not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. Here are the facts: When the United States, Europe, Japan and … Read More.

Developing Country Commitments? Ask George Bush (Senior)

June, 2001 One of President Bush’s principle objections to the Kyoto Protocol is that it exempts developing countries from emissions reduction obligations. To understand why it does so, it is instructive to examine the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed and ratified with the advice and consent of the Senate by George Bush senior … Read More.

View the Quito Declaration from the 4 – 6 May, 2000 workshop in Ecuador regarding “Climate Change Convention and the Clean Development Mechanism

This document is available in English and Spanish.

Bush Energy Plan Violates International Law

May 2001 When President Bush reneged on his promise to regulate CO2 emissions from power plants and turned his back on the Kyoto Protocol, he promised that the US would remain committed to fighting global warming. Today, it is clear he did not mean it. The Bush energy plan, if implemented, would send U.S greenhouse … Read More.

Congressman Menendez Achieves Global Warming Victory in the House of Representatives

May 2001 CIEL worked with the Sierra Club, NRDC and other Climate Action Network members to advise Congressman Menendez as he drafted a House Resolution outlining the need for action to combat global warming. The resolution, co-sponsored by Representatives Lee, Hastings and Faleomaevaga, references findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report and … Read More.

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