The event “Pollution, nature and water: global dialogue of judges on climate change” was held at the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Oku.Az informs that the President of the Supreme Court of Brazil, Antonio Herman Benjamin, who is visiting our country to participate in the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) , the President of the Belgian Constitutional Court and the Forum of Environmental Judges of the European Union, Judge Luc Lavrisen, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, the Executive Director of the Office on Drugs and Crime, Gada Wali, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Judges from Nepal, India and other countries participated.
Welcoming the guests, Chairman of the Supreme Court and Judicial-Legal Council Inam Karimov said that it is a matter of pride that Azerbaijan, which attaches special importance to international cooperation in the fight against climate change, is host today of a prestigious international conference like COP29. .
It was pointed out that climate change is not only an ecological and socioeconomic problem, but also a legal problem, since it affects all areas of human life. It was stated that lawyers, whose activities are interrelated, play an important role in strengthening the legislative framework, shaping judicial practice and taking preventive measures in the fight against climate change. Legal institutions are actively involved not only in the fight against environmental crimes, but also in improving legislation for environmental protection. It was highlighted that discussions on climate change among judges will make an important contribution to the efficiency of justice.
Then, the president of the Supreme Court of Brazil, Antonio Herman Benjamín, gave a speech and noted that climate change affects nature, especially bodies of water, and causes droughts. It was especially highlighted that it is impossible to protect the environment without a judge. Therefore, it was stated that the purpose of organizing these debates is to involve judges in the fight against climate change.
In his speech, UN Undersecretary-General and Executive Director of the Office of Narcotics and Crime Control, Gada Vali, drew attention to the importance of preventing actions that affect the environment and violate the rule of law. It was stated that climate justice is necessary to protect the planet and international cooperation in this direction is important.
Luc Lavrisen, president of the Belgian Constitutional Court and the Forum of Environmental Judges of the European Union, highlighted the obligations of States in the fight against climate change and judicial experience in this regard. It was stated that insufficient climate leads to the violation of human rights. In the context of international obligations, the importance of improving the legal framework related to climate change and special control over the execution of judicial decisions in this area was highlighted.
Afterwards, the event continued with round tables.
