The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
Published by: ICEL, founded 1968 in New Delhi (India) Office of the Council, Bonn (Germany) Copyright: 2015 International Council of Environmental Law – toward sustainable development – (English only) Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. Citation: (2015). The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy. Bonn (Germany) Cover photo:
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Produced by: The International Council of Environmental Law – toward sustainable development –: Compiled and edited by Aaron T. Laur with the kind assistance of Nadia Edwards Printed by:
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Available from: The International Council of Environmental Law – toward sustainable development – Godesberger Allee 108-112, 53175 Bonn Tel: +49 228 2692 240 Fax: +49 228 2692 251 Icel@intlawpol.org and www.i-c-e-l.org
Publication made possible through the Elizabeth Haub Foundation for Environmental Law and Policy (Bonn, Germany)
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Elizabeth Haub 20 September, 1899 – 24 January, 1977 The Prize and Award are named after Elizabeth Haub in recognition of her patronage and philanthropy in the field of environmental law. Elizabeth Haub was devoted to the sound stewardship of nature and natural resources. A great philanthropist and conservation enthusiast, in 1968 she founded the Karl-Schmitz-Scholl-Fund for Environmental Law and Policy in Germany to commemorate the 100th Birthday of her late father. The foundation has provided assistance for projects vital to the development of international environmental law and policy, including formative agreements such as the African Convention on Environment and Development, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears, the Convention on Conservation of Nature in the South Pacific, and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). In her honor, the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) and the Université libre de Bruxelles honored her in 1974 with the establishment of the Elizabeth Haub Prize for Environmental Law. Expanding on her mother-in-law’s legacy, Helga Haub led the establishment of the Elizabeth Haub Foundations for Environmental Law and Policy in the US, Canada, and Germany. Working in closecollaboration, the foundations have primarily supported the work of the Environmental Law Programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN-ELP) and ICEL. The combined resources of these organizations have continued to contribute to the development and negotiation of many important environmental agreements including the Antarctic Protocol, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations World Charter for Nature, and the Draft International Covenant on Environment and Development. –3–
The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy Environmental diplomacy is reshaping the world of public international law, creating a new regime for environmental stewardship. In 1997, Helga Haub established the Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy, which is bestowed by a jury composed of representatives from the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL) and Pace University Law School. The award recognizes the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of diplomats, international civil servants and other negotiators who work to create the world environmental order thereby furthering the life’s work of Elizabeth Haub. The independent Jury for the Elizabeth Haub Award invites nominations of individuals who are distinguished by their contributions to environmental diplomacy. Nominations should be received no later than February of each year for Jury deliberations taking place in the spring. A letter describing the candidate’s qualifications, including a biographical note and curriculum vitae, should be sent to: THE SECRETARY OF THE HAUB JURY, OFFICE OF THE DEAN Pace University School of Law 78 North Broadway, White Plains, New York 10603, USA E-mail: HaubDiplomacyAward@law.pace.edu Fax: 1-914-422-4261
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International Council of Environmental Law – toward sustainable development –
ICEL was formed in 1969 in New Delhi as a non-governmental, notfor-profit, public interest organization. The Council aims to promote the exchange of information on the legal, administrative and policy aspects of environmental conservation and sustainable development. It also supports new initiatives in this field, encourages advice, and provides assistance through its network of private individuals and institutions. Council members are elected by ICEL's Board of Governors to terms of two years. The membership comprises over 220 Individual and Corporate (institutional) members selected on the basis of their expertise, interest and capacity to actively contribute. Election to the Council is seen as a distinction. ICEL’s activities include the publication of “Environmental Policy and Law: The journal for decision-makers”, participation in the work of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and fulfilling its obligations as an organization in general consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and as an international NGO Member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). ICEL is also honored to partner with Stockholm University to annually convey the Elizabeth Haub Prize for Environmental Law. Considered the highest honors in the fields of environmental law and diplomacy, the Council expresses its gratitude to its supporters, members and partners in upholding the high distinction of the Elizabeth Haub Prizes. Godesberger Allee 108-112, 53175 Bonn, Germany Tel.: +49 / 228 / 2692 240 Fax: +49 / 228 / 2692 251 E-mail: icel@intlawpol.org Homepage: www.i-c-e-l.org
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Since Professor Nicholas Robinson established its environmental law specialization in 1978, Pace Law School has provided an internationally acclaimed education in environmental law. With a dedicated faculty - national and worldwide leaders in the field - the Environmental Law Program is consistently ranked among the top in the US. In 2005, the American Bar Association honored Pace with its Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law & Policy. The Program’s areas of strength include: pollution laws and enforcement; international and comparative environmental law; land use and sustainability law; and climate and energy law. It provides practical experience through its Environmental Litigation Clinic, Environmental Diplomacy Practicum, Land Use Law Center, Energy and Climate Center, and externships. It provides research and writing experience through the PACE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REVIEW and the Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies (member IUCN). It offers joint degrees with Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Bard's Center for Environmental Policy. It hosts the National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition. Pace is committed to a better, environmentally sound and sustainable world through law. Pace is honored to partner with ICEL in the establishment of the Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy.
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Environmental Diplomacy Practicum The United Nations Environmental Diplomacy Practicum, now overseen by Ambassador Narinder Kakar and Professor Victor Tafur, was founded by Professor Nicholas A. Robinson and developed by Professor Ann Powers. The Practicum coordinates its actions with the Pace Global Center for Environmental Legal Studies, a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Since 2005, the Practicum has placed well over one hundred Pace Law students in internships with Permanent Missions to the United Nations, where they provide legal and policy guidance and contribute to the ability of Missions to carry on their environmental diplomacy work. Students also participate in seminars and workshops led by Pace professors and experienced diplomats. They study the decisionmaking process and negotiation of environmental treaties in the United Nations system as well as issues involved in the identification and application of environmental principles. In addition to students from the United States, the Practicum attracts participants from a wide range of countries including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Chile, France, Germany, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, and Zimbabwe. The Practicum makes a special effort to place its students with Missions from Small Island Developing States. These countries typically have small Mission staff yet face a wide range of important, pressing environmental issues from climate change to fisheries protection to forest management. Practicum students can provide assistance to the Missions by attending meetings on their behalf, preparing research papers, and implementing projects in which the countries receive funding through the United Nations process for local environmental projects. Students have formulated projects and proposals for eco-tourism, environmental education, fishery licensing, forestry protection, marine pollution, and renewable energy. The course has been taught by distinguished diplomats and scholars, including Professor Roy S. Lee (Executive Secretary, International Criminal Court Conference), Ambassador Bhagwat Singh (IUCN, AALCO), Ambassador Robert Van Lierop (Vanuatu).
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy Helga Haub announced the establishment of the Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy in 1997. The Award has been bestowed since 1999 by a jury composed of representatives from the International Council of Environmental Law and Pace University School of Law. It is conveyed to individuals who have distinguished themselves either through practical achievements or through innovative ideas and diplomatic breakthroughs that have advanced the cause of environmental law and policy. Criteria for Selecting Recipients The Award is granted for exceptional accomplishments in the field of international environmental diplomacy –P articular consideration will be given to any of the following accomplishments: • a positive contribution to the development and promotion of international law and policy in a general way; • a particular practical accomplishment in a specific instance; • a new idea or initiative leading to a new concept in the field of environmental law and policy of one or several countries; and particular initiatives in this field. Further attributes taken into special consideration shall include: – contributions made and results sustained over a period of time; – t he individual being of high moral character and held in generally good regard; – t he contribution being regarded in the field as one that has made a significant impact; – t he individual(s) not having already received the Elizabeth Haub Prize for Environmental Law.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
1999 – Bo John Kjellén (Sweden) For distinguished service leading negotiations of the Convention on Desertification Bo Kjellén is former Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ambassador for Sweden and was also Sweden’s chief representative for several years in international negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including a key role negotiating the Kyoto Protocol. He was Chairman of the Negotiating Committee of the UN Convention on Drought and Desertification (UNCCD), adopted in 1994. In addition to his contributions as an elected ICEL Member, Kjellén is an Associate of the Stockholm Environment Institute.
1999 – Tan Sri Razali Ismail (Malaysia) For his initiatives in the Special Sessions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development with positive participation by civil society Having served the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in different positions since 1962, Tan Sri Razali Ismail became the Ministry’s Deputy Secretary-General in 1985. After his tenure, he was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Mission of Malaysia to Poland, India and later the United Nations. He chaired the UN Security Council from 1989-1990 and was President of the General Assembly from 1996-1997. Additionally, he has headed several diplomatic missions to regional and international organizations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Non-Aligned Movement. He is currently Chairman of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2000 – Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa) For inspired leadership of the United Nations Initiative for Small Island Developing States Tuiloma Neroni Slade began his career serving as senior prosecutor for the Attorney General and as Parliamentary Counsel to the government of Samoa. He went on to concurrently serve as Ambassador to the United States, High Commissioner to Canada and Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Slade also served as chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) from 1997-2003. He was elected to the International Criminal Court in 2003 for a three year term. He is currently Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum and an active member of the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL).
2000 – Veit Koester (Denmark) For extraordinary contributions to negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements Veit Koester is former Head of the Ecological Division of the Danish Nature Agency. He spearheaded work on national conservation issues and represented his country in international negotiations of the Ramsar Convention, the World Heritage Convention, the Migratory Species Convention, The CITES Convention, the Biodiversity Convention, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Bern Convention on European Wildlife, and the Aarhus Convention; on numerous occasions also serving as chair or represented a Danish EU Presidency. He has contributed to the work of ICEL and the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL). After his retirement he was the first chair of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, and of the Compliance Committee of the Biosafety Protocol. He is currently the chair of the Compliance Committee of the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Koester has authored numerous articles and other publications in the field of national or international environmental law.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2001 – Bagher Asadi (Iran) For distinguished accomplishments in securing developing Nations’ support for UNEP, the Kyoto Protocol and establishment of the United Nations Forest Forum. Bagher Asadi started his diplomatic service as advisor at the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran in late 1982 and subsequently joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1984, assigned to the Department of International Affairs. He served from 1988-1990 as Charge d’Affaires at the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva and as Advisor to the Foreign Minister from 1992- 1996. He was appointed as ECOSOC Ambassador at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in 1996. While serving in New York, he was a member and chair of numerous committees and working groups, including Chair of the United Nations General Assembly’s Second Committee, Planning and Coordination Committee, and Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) from 1997-2000. He chaired the Group of 77 (G77) in New York in 2001. Asadi also served on the UN Secretary General’s Eminent Group on UN-Civil Society Relations (2003-2004). He served as Chair of Subsidiary Body of Implementation (SBI) at Climate Change Convention (2007-2008). In his last diplomatic post, he served as Director at the Secretariat of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation (2011-2012, Istanbul, Turkey). Asadi retired from foreign service in late February 2014.
2002 – Askar Akayev (Kyrgyzstan) For initiating and inspiring the United Nations Year of the Mountains Askar Akayev began his career as a physicist and university professor specializing in optics. He later became a member and Vice-President of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences and was elected deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1989. Akayev became the first President of Kyrgyzstan and held this post until 2005. He is currently Senior Researcher at Prigogine Institute for Mathematical Investigations of Complex Systems at Moscow State University.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2004 – Mohamed El-Ashry (Egypt) In recognition of his extraordinary service to the Global Environment Fund Mohamed El-Ashry is Senior Fellow of the United Nations Foundation, Member of the Board of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development, and Chairman of REN21 “the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century”. From 1994-2003 he served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) after chairing GEF during its Pilot Phase from 1991-1994. Before joining GEF, El-Ashry served at different international organizations including as Chief Environmental Adviser to the President and Director of the World Bank’s Environment Department. He has been Vice-President and Director at the World Resources Institute and special advisor to the UN Development Programme, the UN Conference on Environment and Development and a member of the World Water Commission.
2005 – James MacNeill (Canada) For facilitating “Our Common Future” leading the United Nations to convene the 1992 Earth Summit. As Chair Emeritus of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and former Chair World Bank’s Inspection Panel and the Jury for the Volvo Environment Prize, of which he was a founding member. Jim MacNeill was the Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission), and chief architect and lead author of its world acclaimed report, Our Common Future. Previously, he was also Director of Environment at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He began his public service career as a research economist and went on to senior positions in the Canadian government. He led much of his country’s preparations for the 1972 Stockholm Conference and also acted as a Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the 1992 Earth Summit, where he established and chaired EcoFund which provided special funding for its preparations.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2006 – Klaus Töpfer (Germany) For excellence in leading UNEP and advancing global environmental stewardship Before serving as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from 1998-2006, Klaus Töpfer served as member of the German parliament, Minister for the Environment in the government of Rhineland-Palatinate, German Federal Minister for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Nature Conservation from 1987-1994, and Federal Minister for Regional Planning, Civil Engineering and Urban Development from 1994-1998. In 2009, Töpfer was appointed to founding director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) to perform research on climate change and sustainable economics. He is Professor for Environment and Sustainable Development at Tongji University in Shanghai and serves on a number of boards of organizations concerning the environment.
2007 – Mohamed Sahnoun (Algeria) For his role in negotiating agreements crucial to sustainable development Mohamed Sahnoun was Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) from 1964-1973. He was appointed Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the League of Arab States in 1973, in charge of Arab-Africa, and served as Algeria’s Ambassador to a number of States. Among other previous appointments, he has acted as Special Representative of the United Nations SecretaryGeneral for Somalia and for the Great Lakes region of Africa. Sahnoun was also Special Adviser to the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Senior Adviser to the UN Secretary-General for the Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), and a member of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission). Among many other honorary functions, he is a member of the Special Advisory Group of the War-torn Societies Project.
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2008 – Hilario Davide, Jr. (Philippines) For his exceptional leadership in building consensus for the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN General Assembly Before serving as the 20th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1998-2005, Hilario Davide, Jr. was a legislator and constitutional scholar, holding varying positions in governmental institutions, including representing the 4th District of Cebu at the 1971 Constitutional Convention and serving as one of 50 Commissioners appointed to the 1986 Philippine Constitutional Commission. Davide, Jr. was appointed as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations from 2007-2010, where he was also elected Vice-Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
2009 – Julio Barboza (Argentina) In recognition for his outstanding service to international environmental governance Julio Barboza is a Professor of Public International Law at the Argentine Foreign Service Institute, the University of Belgrano, the Catholic University of Argentina, and the University of Buenos Aires. Early in his career, he was Legal Counsel and Director-General of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Barboza represented his country in numerous diplomatic conferences and went on to serve as Legal Counsel to the Argentinian government, and then Ambassador to Poland and Czechoslovakia. He is former Member and President of the United Nations International Law Commission where he was Special Rapporteur dealing with the topic of civil liability, responsibility, and accountability for environmental damage. Barboza is also former President of the UN Administrative Tribunal and continues his engagement as Member of the International Council of Environmental Law (ICEL).
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2010 – Biliana Cicin-Sain (USA) For outstanding contributions to international efforts to preserve the world’s oceans and the several international agreements relating to them Biliana Cicin-Sain is Director of the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy and a Professor at Delaware University. She is founder and President of the Global Oceans Forum, an organization which brings together representatives of states and international organizations, as well as scientific experts and private sector decision-makers to promote the implementation of international ocean agreements. She has served as policy advisor to numerous international organizations and conferences including, the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Inter-American Development Bank, and a number of national governments. She is considered a leading expert in the field of marine conservation policy and is the author of over 100 publications on the topic with emphasis on cross-cutting issues related to integrated ocean and coastal governance.
2012 – S heikha Lubna Bint Khaled Al Qasimi (UAE) In recognition of her significant contribution to advancing and implementing her country’s policy in promoting global sustainable development and renewable energy for the world. HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is Minister for International Cooperation and Development of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2008, she was appointed Minister of Foreign Trade; prior to which, she was named UAE Minister of Economy in 2004, becoming the first woman in the country to hold a cabinet post. Sheikha Lubna served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the UAE’s Securities & Commodities Authority from 2004 – 2008. She acted as the head of the Dubai e-Government executive team instituting e-Government initiatives throughout the country’s public sector in 2004. In 2000, she was appointed the CEO of Tejari, the first business-tobusiness e-market in the Middle East. Sheikha Lubna holds Honorary Doctorates in Science, Law, and Economics from the California State University at Chico (United States), the University of Exeter (United Kingdom), and the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (South Korea), respectively. She was recently appointed President of Zayed University. – 15 –
The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
2013 – L uiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado (Brazil) For leadership in advancing issues of environmental sustainability Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado currently serves as Brazilian Ambassador to the United States. Prior to his appointment, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. In addition to diplomatic postings, Ambassador Figueiredo Machado was Under- Secretary for Environment, Energy, Science and Technology at the Ministry of External Relations (2011-2013) and also served as Director-General of the Department for Environment and Special Affairs (2005-2011), heading Brazilian delegations to meetings on climate change and biodiversity. He led negotiations during the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD (Rio +20)), resulting in the outcome document “The Future We Want.”
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
Impressions from past ceremonies
Stephen Friedman greets participants
L-R Nicholas A. Robinson, Bagher Asadi and Helga Haub
Liliane Haub, Mohamed Sahnoun and Christian Haub
L-R Leroy Paddock, Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Helga Haub, Veit Koester and Erivan Haub
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
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The Elizabeth Haub Award for Environmental Diplomacy
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