IUCN Secretariat has asked that we share the following information with all WCEL Members: 

In view of the sanitary situation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, France and the IUCN have decided to postpone the IUCN World Conservation Congress, which was to be held in January 2021 in Marseille. New dates for the event will be announced in due course. 

France and IUCN remain fully committed to the development of a global framework for the conservation of biodiversity and will continue to act towards this objective. 

We will provide more information on preparation, programme, logistics and more on the webpage dedicated to the Congress postponement as it becomes available.

The 2nd World Environmental Law Congress has been postponed to 2021 because of the travel restrictions imposed by COVID-19. New dates for the event will be announced in due course. 

The Congress was originally scheduled for March 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  In February 2020, WCEL decided to postpone the Congress, along with the related events including the 3rd General Assembly of the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment, the International Council of Environmental Law Colloquium, the WCEL Moot Court, and various side meetings. 

Additional information will be posted to the 2nd World Environmental Law Congress website when it becomes available.   

In April 2020, WCEL launched a Webinar Series to bring attention to emerging issues in Environmental Law. Over the past six months, WCEL has hosted nine Webinars on a wide range of topics. The webinars considered the role of environmental law in addressing the current global health pandemic as well as the role of environmental law to address climate change, water rights, and ocean health.

As part of the WCEL Webinar Series, WCEL is collaborating with other IUCN Commissions and partners. With the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment (GJIE), WCEL hosted a 2-part webinar on recent developments in European environmental law jurisprudence. WCEL and GJIE are planning future Webinars on judicial developments in environmental law in Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.

WCEL provides live interpretation during the Webinars to engage our members from different regions of the world.

We invite you to visit the WCEL Webinar Series webpage for more information about the WCEL Webinar Series and video recordings.

WCEL has produced a series of Environmental Law Lectures to highlight to trends in environmental law around the world. In the first twenty lectures, WCEL members, including judges, law professors, and representatives from international organizations, review the role of environmental law in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Environmental Law Lectures include English, French and Spanish language speakers. The lectures were produced in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, the Organization of American States, and Catholic University of Brasília.  

WCEL next plans to film ten new Video Lectures featuring distinguished members of WCEL and the GJIE. 

We invite you to visit the WCEL Environmental Law Lecture webpage for more information about the WCEL Video Lecture Series.

WCEL continues to publish weekly News Articles written by WCEL Members and partners. The News Articles announce events and publications, explore recent court decisions, and commemorate significant contributions to the field of environmental law. 

We invite you to visit the WCEL News Article page to read recent articles. 

If you would like to contribute a News Article to the WCEL Website, please contact the WCEL Executive Officer at wcel@iucn.org.