On May 16-17, 2003, UNEP, IUCN and EPL organized a regional symposium ‘The Role of the Judiciary in Enforcement and Implementation of Environmental Law: A Regional Needs Assessment’. It was co-hosted by the State Judicial Administration of Ukraine and the Judicial Academy of Ukraine. Fifteen Chief Justices from 11 countries, together with other judges and experts across the globe, met in Lviv, Ukraine,
The Lviv Symposium followed recent global symposia held in Johannesburg and Nairobi, as well as regional symposia for Western Europe. During the Lviv Symposium judges discussed various issues on environmental law implementation, environmental human rights. They identified further capacity building needs and priorities for the courts of EECCA region.
A series of capacity building activities in the region will follow up this event. The Lviv Statement, adopted at the Lviv Symposium, called on UNEP, IUCN, EPL and other organizations to assist in developing and implementing judicial capacity building activities for the EECCA Region in the field of environmental law at the regional and national level based on an assessment of the needs of the judiciary.