Theme:
Environmental Law and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Legislation towards a sustainable economy in the Middle East and North African (MENA) Region
February 19-20, 2024
Venue: Faculty of Law, Sohar University, Oman
CALL FOR PAPERS
The 5th Scientific Conference of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities (ASSELLMU) is planned to be held on February 19-20, 2024 at Sohar University, Oman, with a view to exploring the role of comprehensive and effective environmental laws in advancing the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the MENA region.
The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, contain a set of 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at protecting the planet, advancing social progress and prosperity for all peoples, and eradicating poverty through improved economic opportunities. Prior to the adoption of the SDGs, the importance of legislation and strategies to ensure sustainability and balanced economic development were already well codified in a wide range of legally binding multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) signed by virtually all countries of the world. There are currently more than 250 MEAs, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, The Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, amongst others, that address various sustainability themes. The legally binding nature of MEAs means that they offer promising pathways to ensure that countries, business enterprises, and other stakeholders make progress with respect to all the targets of the SDGs. The devastating impacts of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have also accentuated calls for integrating environmental standards into economic recovery programs in order to ensure all round sustainable economic progress, while protecting the planet and people.
With less than six years to the 2030 date for the realization of the SDGs, it is urgently imperative to examine the role of environmental law in accelerating progress in the attainment of the SDGs. Understanding gaps to the effective development, application and implementation of environmental law across the MENA region, as well as innovative environmental law education approaches for addressing those gaps, can help educators, business enterprises, policymakers and other stakeholders to plot a clearer path for systemic integration and reform.
The 2024 Conference aims to bring together environmental educators, university teachers, trainers, and practitioners to exchange knowledge, experience and learn from each other on how to strengthen environmental law education and practice in the region. As with previous occasions, it will provide a platform for sharing and exchanging information on the necessary resources, skills, approaches, and methodologies needed to equip students and future environmental administrators in the region with law and governance skills to advance the SDGs in their spheres of operation.
In acknowledgment of the importance of sustainable development to the MENA region, the plenary session and workshops will provide an opportunity for sharing information and best practices on the role of environmental law in accelerating progress in the attainment of the SDGs in the region. The program will cover national, regional and international law aspects on four (4) main substantive topics:
We are inviting abstracts for papers falling within any of the above topics that will propose groundbreaking academic style contributions to SDG law and policy in the MENA region. The contributions can take a continental approach to the issues they cover; or focus on sub-regional or country level case studies. In so far as methodology is concerned, papers adopting multi-disciplinary and empirical approaches are welcome. The papers can also address innovative approaches to teaching, carrying out research in and litigating on environmental law.
Environmental law teachers, scholars and legal practitioners, and other persons interested in the discipline of environmental law and policy from the MENA region, are invited to submit an abstract on any of the above 5 main substantive topics. The proposals should be of no more than 600 words and include the following elements: name of the author; institutional affiliation of the author; author’s contact details; a short description of the topic to be addressed in the paper; the methodological approach taken; and a brief overview of the expected outcomes of the final paper.
Abstracts should be submitted, together with a copy of the author’s curriculum vitae, as e-mail attachments to the Chair of ASSELLMU, Dr. Damilola S. Olawuyi, SAN (dolawuyi@hbku.edu.qa).
The closing date for submission of abstracts is 30 August 2023. Any questions on this call for abstracts should be directed to dolawuyi@hbku.edu.qa
The selection panel will consider the submitted abstracts and inform only the selected authors on or before 01 October, 2023. Upon acceptance of an abstract by the selection panel, the author will be invited to submit the full drafts of their papers on or before 31 December 2023. Revised versions of the papers will be presented for discussion at the ASSELLMU 5th Scientific Conference to be held on February 19-20, 2024. Finally accepted papers will be published in a journal special issue or book.