Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy
This year’s Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law & Diplomacy was conferred in memoriam to Environmental Defenders who have lost their lives defending their land and the environment from destructive industries. The number of attacks against environmental defenders continues to rise, with 212 killings documented by Global Witness in 2019. The ceremony was preceded by a panel discussion featuring leading environmental advocates and activists from around the globe. The event took place Monday, October 12, 2020, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm EST. Watch a video recording of the event below.
Panelists:
Robert Chan, Executive Director, Palawan NGO Network, Inc. (PNNI), Philippines
Atty. Robert ‘Bobby’ Chan is a product of the Ateneo de Manila University. He finished his law degree, Juris Doctor, in 1994 in the Ateneo School of Law and immediately pursued an internship program with the Ateneo Human Rights Center, for which he was assigned to environmental law practice in Palawan. He initially worked as a Legal Staff of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center and eventually was asked to head the Palawan NGO Network Incorporated as its Executive Director in 2010 up to the present. He is sometimes called the chainsaw man of Palawan owing to his more than 700 confiscated illegal logging chainsaws impounded in his office, along with several dynamite fishing boats and mining equipment. But Bobby wants to be known as an advocate of Deeds, and not Words, which most environmentalists have a tendency to interchange.
For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/palawanngonetworkinc
Carlos Alfonso Negret, Former Ombudsman, Republic of Colombia
Carlos Alfonso Negret was the Ombudsman of Colombia during the constitutional period of September 1st of 2016 to August 31st of 2020. He carried out his work with the commitment to ensure the less favored, make visible the invisible, privilege governance in the territories and promote the consolidation of a human rights culture to live in peace.
During his mandate as Ombudsman, he was elected as Chairperson of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), which reunites more than 113 National Human Rights Institutions at the global level.
Prior to his election as Ombudsman, he served in various positions in the public and private sectors, such as INCORA (Colombian Institute for Land Reform), an entity where the first stages to learn about the problems that afflict the rural sector in the nation and the complex difficulties to face it were identified. Likewise, he represented his country in the United States of America, as Consul, getting to know first-hand, the problematics lived by fellow citizens abroad, especially in prison matters.
For more information, see https://www.lacolombiaolvidada.com
Krystal Two Bulls, Northern Cheyenne/Oglala Lakota; Director, LANDBACK Campaign; NDN Collective
Krystal Two Bulls has extensive experience as an organizer and on the frontlines with campaign development and management on local, national and transnational campaigns for social, racial and environmental justice. Krystal’s identity as a Native American veteran is central to her organizing and storytelling. At the heart of Krystal’s work are the connections between collective wellness, environmental justice, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, and anti-militarism. In healing from her experience as a soldier, Krystal has dedicated herself to embodying what she views as the essential quality of a warrior: a commitment to the well-being of not only her People and their relationship to the land, but that of all Peoples.
For more information, see https://ndncollective.org and https://landback.org
Julie Anne Miranda-Brobeck, Head of US Communications & Global Partnerships, Global Witness
Julie Anne Miranda-Brobeck is the Head of US Communications and Global Partnerships at international human rights and environmental watchdog Global Witness, where she leads on US media and strategic communications, cultivating partnerships, and overseeing a host of engaging events to bring visibility and impact to Global Witness campaigns and investigations. Prior to her work with Global Witness, she spent 6 years at the Transparency International Secretariat in Berlin, working across communications, public relations and campaign outreach to shine a light on corruption and root out abuse of power around the world. She has also led multiple art & culture publications as Editor-in-Chief. She is originally from Washington, D.C. and holds a BA in Foreign Affairs and Creative Writing (University of Virginia) and an MA in Global Studies (Joint Degree: University of Freiburg – Germany & Faculty of Latin American Social Sciences – Buenos Aires).
For more information, see https://www.globalwitness.org/en
For Global Witness’ July 2020 Report, see https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/defending-tomorrow
Press Release: Haub Law Confers 2019-2020 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy on Environmental Defenders
Criteria for the Award
The Award may be granted for any of the following accomplishments:
- Contributions which have generally led to the progressive development of environmental law and policy;
- Particular practical success in specific instances as well as initiatives leading to a new idea or concept in the field of environmental law and policy of one or several countries.
The jury will convene to select the laureate and then a public announcement of the selection will follow.
2020 Award Jury Members
Dr. Grethel Aguilar, Acting Director General, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Horace Anderson, Dean, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Jonas Ebbesson, Professor of Environmental Law and Director Stockholm Environmental Law and Policy Centre, Stockholm University
Liliane Haub, Environmental Advocate and Pace University Board of Trustees Member
Patricia Kameri-Mbote, Founding Research Director of International Environmental Law Research Centre, Dean and Professor of Law, University of Nairobi
Rose Lesley Kautoke, Senior Advisor, Permanent Mission of Tonga to the UN
Katrina Fischer Kuh, Haub Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Director, Law Division United Nations Environment Programme
Smita Narula, Haub Distinguished Professor of International Law, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Tianbao Qin, Luojia Professor of Law, Wuhan University
Nicholas A. Robinson, Executive Governor, International Council of Environmental Law, University Professor on the Environment and Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus
Dr. Rômulo Sampaio, Partner, Reis & Sampaio LLP
Past Laureates
2018 | Stephen C. McCaffrey (USA) As Special Rapporteur of the UN Convention on International Water Courses and Sustained Leadership Building International Environmental Law |
2017 | Reinhard Josef Krapp (Germany) For exceptional and sustained commitment to advancing multilateral policy to further sustainable development and environmental values globally |
2016 | Christiana Figueres (Costa Rica) In Recognition of her Remarkable Diplomatic Achievements as the Architect of the Paris Climate Accords |
2015 | Antonio Herman Benjamin (Brazil) Luis Alberto Figueiredo (Brazil) For his service to biodiversity when he served as Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs |
2014 | Richard Macrory (United Kingdom) |
2013 | Marc Pallemaerts (Belgium) |
2012 | Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi For Sustained and Innovative Leadership Establishing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) |
2012 | Koh Kheng Lian (Singapore) |
2011 | Alan Boyle (Scotland) |
2010 | Biliana Cicin-Sain For her outstanding contributions to the international efforts to preserve the world’s oceans and several international agreements related to them |
2009 | Julio Barboza For his outstanding service to international environmental governance Donald Kaniaru (Kenya) |
2008 | Laurence Boisson de Chazournes (Switzerland) Hilario G. 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 United Nations General Assembly |
2007 | Françoise Burhenne-Guilmin (Belgium) David Freestone (United Kingdom) Mohamed A. Sahnoun (Algeria) For His Role in the Negotiation of Agreements Crucial to Sustainable Development |
2006 | Dinah Shelton (USA) Thomas A. Mensah (Ghana) Klaus Töpfer (Germany) For excellence in leading UNEP and advancing global environmental stewardship |
2005 | James MacNeill (Canada) For facilitating “Our Common Future” leading the United Nations to convene the 1992 Earth Summit Phillippe Sands (United Kingdom) |
2004 | Mohamed El-Ashry (Egypt) In recognition of his extraordinary service to the Global Environment Fund Ramón Ojeda Mestre (Mexico) |
2003 | Peter H. Sand (Germany) |
2002 | Askar Akaev (Kyrgyzstan) For initiating and inspiring the United Nations Year of the Mountains Mohamed Ali Mekouar (Morocco) |
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 Ludwig Krämer (Germany) |
2000 | Veit Koester (Denmark) For extraordinary contributions to negotiation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and other multilateral environmental agreements Akio Morishima (Japan) Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa) For inspired leadership of the United Nations Initiative for Small Island Developing States |
1999 | Johan Gerrit Lammers (Netherlands) Bo John Kjellen (Sweden) For distinguished service leading negotiations of the Convention on Desertification< 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 |
1998 | Parvez Hassan (Pakistan) |
1997 | Günther Handl (Austria) |
1996 | Tommy Thong-Bee Koh (Singapore) |
1995 | Patrick Széll (United Kingdom) |
1994 | Edith Brown-Weiss (USA) |
1993 | Winfried Lang (Austria) |
1992 | Nicholas A. Robinson (USA) |
1991 | Hubert Bocken (Belgium) |
1990 | Andronico Oduogo Adede (Kenya) |
1989 | Zdenek Madar (Czechoslovakia) |
1988 | Cyrille de Klemm (France) |
1987 | Reinhard Ganten (Germany) |
1986 | Michael Bothe (Germany) |
1985 | Paulo Affonso Leme Machado (Brazil) |
1984 | Charles Okidi (Kenya) |
1983 | Heribert Rausch (Switzerland) |
1982 | Louis-Paul Suetens (Belgium) |
1981 | Mateo J. Magarinos de Mello (Uruguay) |
1980 | Russell Train (USA) |
1979 | Alexandre-Charles Kiss (Hungary) Oleg Stepanovitch Kolbasov (USSR) |
1978 | Guillermo Cano (Germany) Eckhard Rehbinder (Argentina) |
1977 | Joseph L. Sax (USA) Henri Smets (Belgium) |
1976 | Jacques Hoeffler (Belgium) Michel Prieur (France) |
1975 | Wolfgang Burhenne (Germany) Waclaw Brzezinski (Poland) Michel Despax (France) |
1974 | Michel Carpentier (France) Jean-Paul Harroy (Belgium) Jean Lamarque (France) |