SCELG awarded consultancy by the Convention on Biological Diversity

Contributing to work on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas and on Sustainable Ocean Initiative Global Dialogues

September 2017: The Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance (SCELG) has been awarded an international consultancy by the Secretariat to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to support its work on ecologically or biologically significant marine areas and on Sustainable Ocean Initiative Global Dialogues.

Facilitating discussions and contributing to workshops

On EBSAs, SCELG will carry out preparatory work to facilitate a discussion on possible options for modifying the description of areas meeting the criteria for ecologically or biologically significant marine areas (EBSAs), for describing new areas, and for strengthening the scientific credibility and transparency of the EBSA process. Prof Elisa Morgera, SCELG Director, and Dr Daniela Diz, SCELG member, will then participate in a CBD workshop to discuss these options to be held in Berlin, Germany, from 5-8 December 2017. Dr Diz will also support the Secretariat in the organization of a side-event at the 22nd meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on the Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, scheduled from 2-7 July 2018 in Montreal, Canada. In addition, Prof Morgera and Dr Diz will support the preparation of and participate in the second meeting of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) Global Dialogue with Regional Seas Organizations and Regional Fisheries Bodies, to be held in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 10-13 April 2018. Dr Diz had already been invited to contribute to the first SOI meeting in 2016.

Practice-Led Teaching

The consultancy recognizes the scholarly work of Prof Elisa Morgera and Daniela Diz on biodiversity and on oceans, including in the context of the MARINE BENEFITS project. Prof Morgera and Dr Diz are the Co-Directors of the LLM in Law of the Sea, Sustainable Development and International Law.