Mexico City, 23-24 October 2018 - In the First Mexican Forum of the IUCN, experts in environmental law gathered to exchange ideas about the challenges and solutions as Mexico confronts an environmental crisis.

WCEL Members participated in three days of the event, highlighting WCEL Chair Antonio Benjamin’s emphasis on the Commission as the principal source of technical legal counseling for the Union and the new challenges facing environmental justice. He announced a collaboration with the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation to guarantee the applicability of environmental law. He also stressed the tools at the Commission’s disposal, such as ECOLEX and the Video Library on the Commission’s website.

Anaid Velasco chaired the WCEL meeting at the Mexican Forum on October 24. Francisco Camarena and Ángel Daen Morales participated as members of the Commission, and Miguel Ángel Cancino, Lourdes López and Diana Ponce participated as guests. Panelist interventions presented activities in the field of environmental law, in both public and private instances, and the challenges of environmental law in the Mexican context.

Conclusions:

 1. It is necessary fortify the participation of Mexican experts in environmental law in the Commission. At present, WCEL has seven members from Mexico, which is why we urge experts in environmental law in Mexico to join WCEL.

2. It is essential to restructure the legal environmental paradigm and protect animal rights.

3. Members need to influence the formation of specialized lawyers on environmental law with an integral focus.

1.  Members must develop an analysis of precedential obstacles that face environmental law in the Mexican system, and as alternative, need to strengthen environmental legal defense with electronic media.

5. Members can offer tools to human rights defenders on environmental law.

A key point of discussion was animal law in the forefront of environmental law, concluding that environmental law must to be a tool to influence sustainable development and justice, and accord animal sentience. The law must guarantee the animal´s rights. Likewise, Members concluded that the environmental paradigm of sustainability must adapt to the current circumstances. Issues such as hunting or use of wildlife must be oriented with precepts guided by bioethics and science.

The dialogue pointed out the positive visions of the future environmental law for the purpose of creating sustainability for public policies.

Author

      Photo: Daen Morales

Master in Animal Law and Society at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Vice president of Biofutura A.C., member of World Commission on Environmental Law