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INECE Regional Network for Africa
Africa Region News
Sub-Saharan African Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Established at 8th INECE Conference in South Africa
The 8th International Conference on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement culminated in the formation of an informal Sub-Saharan African Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement. The objective of the network, which was founded by environmental compliance and enforcement officials and experts from South Africa, Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Botswana, Uganda, and Tanzania, is to enhance environmental compliance and enforcement in the great countries of Sub-Saharan Africa by sharing information and experience.
To join the network, please register by sending your name, organization, contact information, and email address to inece@inece.org.
8th Conference Concludes in Cape Town, South Africa
The 8th INECE conference commenced on 05 April and drew to a close today, 11 April 2008. It saw 200 participants from more than 60 developing and developed countries gather in Cape Town, South Africa, to affirm the benefits of environmental compliance and enforcement, to highlight progress made by the network, and press for further actions to improve compliance and enforcement around the world.
In a video message to the Conference, Nobel Peace Prize winner and world renowned environmentalist Wangari Maathai said that laws are important but compliance to laws is more important as we cannot have sustainable development without compliance. Dr. Maathai emphasised that compliance is part of good governance and effective rule of law - one is not effective on its own, both law and compliance were needed. ...more
Linking Concepts to Action: INECE 8th Conference to Focus on Successful Strategies for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement
Experts from around the world will convene in Cape Town, South Africa, on 5-11 April 2008, to collaborate on identifying concrete individual and collective actions to advance the global agenda of strengthening environmental compliance and enforcement at all levels of governance.
As noted by South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), "[e]nvironmental compliance and enforcement are becoming high profile issues in South Africa in the context of high economic growth and development, ... the ongoing protection of our biodiversity and protected areas, and the required adaptation for climate change.”
Through collaborations with DEAT, the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape Province, th Environmental Law Association of South Africa (ELA), and other local partners, the Conference will seek to respond to specific needs and challenges related to environmental compliance and enforcement in southern Africa.
En français: L’INECE annonce sa huitième Conférence International portant sur l’application et la conformité environnementale, en Afrique du Sud.
En español: INECE anuncia su octava Conferencia Internacional sobre Aplicación y Cumplimiento Ambiental, a realizarse en Sudáfrica.
South Africa’s Green Scorpions Launch Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Campaigns
from INECE Newsletter 15
South Africa’s highly specialized environmental police force, the Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), popularly known as the “Green Scorpions,” has been particularly busy in the last few months with two national environmental compliance and enforcement drives.
A countrywide environmental enforcement drive began on 15 March 2007, the first day of a series of planned quarterly enforcement days. EMIs across the country executed scheduled enforcement activities, conducting on-site compliance inspections of plants suspected of violating environmental laws, monitoring for criminal activity along coasts, and educating the public to increase awareness of environmental crimes and the community’s role in protecting the environment. ...more
Challenges in Ensuring Compliance with and Enforcement of Environmental Law in Uganda
from INECE Newsletter 15
In Uganda’s environment sector, the National Environment Management Policy (NEMP) and sectoral policies as well as the 1995 Constitution, the National Environment Act (which is the framework environment legislation) and sectoral legislation provide the legal basis for management of the environment. These instruments set out policy statements, protect natural resources in public trust, create rights and obligations in respect of environmental management, and oblige compliance and enforcement of the law. In spite of this framework, there are still challenges as seen below.
Uganda’s population size, growth rate, structure and distribution are key factors governing environmental integrity. Over 90% of the population of approximately 26.7 million (with a population growth rate of 3.3%) depends directly on natural resources for their livelihoods. ...more
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