Asia-Pacific Judicial Conference on Environmental and Climate Change Adjudication

29 - 30 October 2018

Event Tabs

The Supreme Court of the Union, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) are pleased to host the Asia Pacific Judicial Conference on Environmental and Climate Change Adjudication in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Judiciaries across Asia and the Pacific uphold the rule of law in their countries. In an increasingly dynamic field of law such as environmental and climate change, people cling more to the courts in their pursuit of clarification amidst conflicting laws and even legal voids. The event aims to update the participants with knowledge about pressing environmental and climate change issues that require their urgent attention and solutions that they can readily adopt.

Day 1: 29 October 2018

 
9:00am – 10:00am

Inaugural Session

Facilitator: Ms. Irum Ahsan, Principal Counsel, Asian Development Bank

Traditional Ceremony

Welcome Remarks by the Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar: Hon. Chief Justice Htun Htun Oo Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar

Remarks from the Asian Development Bank: Mr. Christopher Stephens, General Counsel, ADB

Remarks from United Nations Environment Programme: Ms. Isabelle Louis, Deputy Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific, UN Environment

Group Photo

 
10:00am – 10:30am

Tea Break

 
10:30am – 12:00am

Session 1: Focus on Myanmar: Environmental and Climate Law Challenges

Facilitator: Hon. Judge Teris Samuel Ni Khoi, High Court of Chin State, Myanmar

  1. Overview of Myanmar’s Environment and Climate Change Issues and Legal Framework for Protection and Enforcement - Ms. Tin Nwe Soe, Director General, Office of the Union Judiciary Supervision, Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar
  2. Resolving Environmental Issues in ASEAN Through EIAs and Other Tools for Enforcement - Mr. Matthew Baird, Director, Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law
  3. It's Gettin' Hot in Here, So Let's Talk GHGs: A Lawyer Talks About Climate Change - Ms. Briony Eales Knowledge Management Specialist (Consultant), ADB

Q&A

 
12:00pm – 1:30pm

Session 2: Environment, Climate Change, and Human Rights

Facilitator: Mr. Andrew Raine, Head of the International Environmental Law Unit, Law Division, UN Environment

  1. Who Suffers the First and the Worst: Is Climate Change Unfair? - Ms. Irum Ahsan, Principal Counsel, ADB
  2. The Paris Agreement – A Judge’s Perspective - The Rt. Hon. Lord Carnwath of Notting Hill CVO, Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
  3. The Different Types of Climate Change Litigation Against Governments and Entities - Hon. Justice Brian J. Preston, Chief Judge, Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia

Q&A

 
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Lunch Break
 
2:30pm – 4:00pm

Session 3: Urbanization and Environment

Facilitator: Mr. Gregorio Rafael P. Bueta, Legal and Policy Specialist (Consultant), ADB

  1. Urbanization Issues: Air and Plastic Pollution and Their Impacts - Prof. Jeffrey Seadon Senior Research Fellow, Built Environment Engineering Auckland University of Technology
  2. Shipbreaking: Hazards and Solutions - Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan Executive Director, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
  3. Extent of Utilization of Groundwater by Corporations: Legal and Judicial Challenges - Advocate and Partner, Raja Muhammad Akram and Co.

Q&A

 

End of Day 1

 
6:30pm – 8:30pm

Welcome Dinner hosted by the Union Supreme Court of Myanmar

 

Day 2: 30 October 2018

 
8:45am – 9:00am

Coming Soon to a Court Near You: ADB’s Climate Change Litigation Benchbook
By Irum Ahsan, Principal Counsel, ADB

 
9:00am – 11:00am

Session 4: Green Communities in Action: Inspiring Grassroots Stories
Facilitator: Ms. Maria Cecilia T. Sicangco, Knowledge Management Specialist (Consultant), ADB

  1. Eliminating Lead in Paint in the Philippines: How Multi-Stakeholders Collaboration is Protecting Children's Health and the Environment - Mr. Emmanuel Maria C. Calonzo, Adviser, EcoWaste Coalition, Inc. Philippines, Adviser, IPEN Global Lead Paint Elimination Campaign
  2. Community Action to Address Climate Change in the Pacific: Kiribati Experience - Mr. Robert Karoro, IVA Specialist and Research Analyst, Kiribati Climate Action Network
  3. Surviving Disasters for the Most Vulnerable: Teach a Girl to Swim (TAGS) Campaign - Ms. Malini Mehra, Chief Executive, GLOBE International Secretariat
  4. ADB’s Bottom-Up Approach through the Train the Trainers Program: Developing a Cohort of Expert Trainers on Environmental Law - Ms. Christina Pak, Senior Counsel (ADB), Prof. Camena Guneratne (The Open University of Sri Lanka), Dr. Hanim Kamaruddin (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia)

Q&A

 
11:00am – 11:30am
Tea Break
 
11:30am – 12:30pm

Session 5: Regional and Global Judicial Perspectives: Enhancing the Judges’ Role in the Age of Climate Change
Moderator: Mr. Christopher Stephens, General Counsel, ADB

This panel discussion brings together judges from different regions to discuss the increasingly important role of judges in the era of climate change. It is also envisioned as an opportunity where judges can share ideas, best practices, and avenues for inter-judicial and inter-regional cooperation

Southeast Asia

  • Southeast Asia - Hon. Vice Chief Justice Takdir Rahmadi, Supreme Court of Indonesia
  • Hon. Justice Aung Zaw Thein, Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar

South Asia

  • Hon. Justice Jawad Hassan, Lahore High Court, Pakistan

The Pacific

  • Hon. Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, Supreme and National Courts of Justice of Papua New Guinea

The Americas

  • Hon. Justice Michael D. Wilson, Supreme Court of Hawaii
 
12:30pm – 1:30pm
Lunch Break
 
1:30pm – 3:00pm

Session 6: Developments and Challenges in Green Litigation
Facilitator: Ms. Christina Pak, Senior Counsel, ADB

  • Global Judicial Efforts to Enhance Environment Litigation - Hon. Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin, National High Court, Brazil
  • Environment and Climate Change Litigation in India - Mr. Ritwick Dutta Executive Director, Legal Initiative for Forests and Environment (LIFE)
  • Case Study: Deforestation and Indonesian Forest Fires Cases - Mr. Conrado Cornelius Independent Legal Consultant & Researcher

Q&A

 
3:00pm – 3:30pm
Tea Break
 
3:30pm – 4:30pm

Session 7: Climate Change Litigation Multi-Stakeholder Perspective
Moderator: Ms. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Executive Director, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)

This panel discussion intends to gather the views of various stakeholders involved in climate change litigation, especially with respect to challenges and best practices. The panel will discuss the international and domestic drivers of ‘climate suits’, and the effect, if any, of judgments in other jurisdictions. In addition, the panel will touch upon the global and regional landscape of climate change litigation, and if ideological and/or constitutional factors perpetuate a divide between litigation in the Global North as against the Global South.

Judiciary

  • Hon. Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla, Supreme Court of Nepal
  • Hon. Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, High Court Division, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
  • Hon. Justice Soe Naing, Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar

Litigators

  • Mr. Ritwick Dutta, Executive Director, Legal Initiative for Forests and Environment (LIFE)
  • Mr. Abu Zar Salman Khan, Advocate and Partner, Raja Muhammad Akram and Co.

Academic

  • Prof. Ben Boer, Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney, National Distinguished Professor, Wuhan University Law School
 
4:30pm – 5:00pm

Closing Session
Facilitator: Ms. Irum Ahsan, Principal Counsel, ADB

  • Closing Remarks by the Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar - Hon. Chief Justice Htun Htun Oo, Supreme Court of the Union of Myanmar
  • Remarks from the Asian Development Bank - Mr. Newin Sinsiri, Country Director for Myanmar, ADB
  • Remarks from UN Environment - Mr. Andrew Raine, Head of the International Environmental Law Unit, Law Division, UN Environment
Preliminary Materials

Final Programme Agenda

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474.39 KB
 
Preliminary Materials

Conference Booklet

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970.83 KB