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This situation report by Chris Maroleng describes the marginalisation and forced eviction of the San people, specifically the Gana and Gwi groups, from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) in Botswana. The author argues that the Botswana government is using inhumane tactics, including cutting off water supplies and torture, to remove the San to secure mineral rights to diamond-rich lands, despite constitutional protections and international funding offers from the European Union.

This briefing by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a comprehensive guide for homeowners to reduce their carbon footprint through energy-efficiency measures. It establishes a baseline for the typical American single-family home and outlines a strategic, cost-effective path toward achieving climate neutrality by 2012 through a combination of behavioral changes, equipment upgrades, green power, and carbon offsets.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines how the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations following the 2001 Doha Ministerial Conference may undermine the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The document highlights conflicts between trade liberalization and biodiversity protection, specifically regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agricultural subsidies, and intellectual property rights.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the debate over U.S. air conditioner efficiency standards, specifically comparing the SEER 13 standard established by the Clinton Administration with a proposed rollback to SEER 12 by the Bush Administration. It details the projected energy savings, emission reductions, and economic impacts associated with both standards.

This briefing analyzes the internal power dynamics and succession struggles within the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) ahead of the March 2002 presidential elections in Zimbabwe. It details the ethno-linguistic factions competing for influence and the potential candidates to succeed President Robert Mugabe.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a series of suggested amendments to the Chairman's Paper for the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). CIEL argues that the original paper overemphasizes economic growth and national governance while neglecting environmental protection, human rights, and the necessity of multilateral cooperation.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International argues that children and unborn babies are disproportionately exposed to and vulnerable to pesticides in food and the home. It criticizes the UK government for a lack of specific legal protections for children and calls for a ban on hormone-disrupting pesticides, the extension of strict pesticide limits to all foods, and a target of 30 per cent organic farmland by 2010.

This briefing describes the seizure of power in the Central African Republic on 15 March 2002, when General François Bozizé led approximately 1,000 rebel troops to take control of Bangui, displacing President Patassé.

This situation report analyzes the potential for peace in Angola following the death of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on 22 February 2002. While the Angolan government has initiated a 15 Point Plan for peace and a unilateral truce, the report highlights significant fragmentation within UNITA and disputes over the legitimacy of current negotiations.

In a February 2002 statement, IUCN and CIEL urged a Committee and WIPO to ensure that contractual frameworks for accessing genetic resources and traditional knowledge respect the rights and customary laws of indigenous peoples and local communities. They emphasized that current patent systems are insufficient for biodiversity conservation and called for the integration of ecosystem conservation costs and the active, funded participation of stakeholders in these legal discussions.

A joint statement by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) arguing that current patent and intellectual property systems fail to protect biological diversity and the rights of indigenous peoples, calling for a sui generis system for traditional knowledge.

An open letter from WWF and CIEL providing recommendations for the March 2002 WTO symposium on the assessment of trade in services, urging for a holistic approach that includes environmental, social, and developmental dimensions beyond narrow economic trade aspects.

A February 2002 statement by the Center for International Environmental Law and other organizations calling on U.S. President George W. Bush to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, and to commit to specific environmental actions.

This briefing analyzes the outcomes of the WTO Doha Ministerial meeting regarding intellectual property and the TRIPS Agreement. It highlights the legal ambiguity of the mandates, identifying opportunities for developing countries to protect public health and traditional knowledge, while warning against risks such as 'TRIPS plus' proposals under Article 71.1 and the precedent set by the multilateral register for wines and spirits.

This research paper examines the early implementation of decentralization laws in Indonesia, specifically Law No. 22/1999 and Law 25/1999, and their impact on the forestry sector. It analyzes how the shift of power from the central government to districts has led to the emergence of 'district timber regimes' focused on revenue generation, often at the expense of forest conservation and sustainable management.

This case study examines the participatory management of the Samori forest in the commune of Baye, Mali, analyzing the intersection of NGO-led community initiatives, state administration, and the process of democratic decentralization. The author argues that despite the presence of participatory structures, a true democratic decentralization has not occurred because power and decision-making authority remain concentrated with the state and the facilitating NGO, rather than being transferred to representative local institutions.

This case study examines the process of decentralization in Nicaragua, focusing on the transfer of natural resource management responsibilities to municipal governments. It highlights a significant gap between legal attributions and the actual transfer of power and funding from the central government, noting that while grassroots support for local autonomy is high, municipal capacity remains low and central control over revenue-generating resources persists.

This research paper examines the impact of post-socialist transition and decentralization on rural livelihoods and pasture land management in Mongolia during the 1990s. It argues that while formal political decentralization has occurred, a lack of administrative and fiscal autonomy has created an 'institutional vacuum' or 'de facto' decentralization. This environment, characterized by rising social inequality and a decline in pastoral mobility, poses significant threats to environmental sustainability and increases the vulnerability of poor herders to natural hazards.

This research paper examines the tension between centralism and decentralization in Mexico, focusing on the state of Oaxaca. It discusses how the diversity of local governments, particularly indigenous municipalities governed by traditional customs, must navigate the pressures of globalization and trade liberalization to achieve sustainable local development.

This research paper by Fernando Melo Farrera, presented at a World Resources Institute conference in 2002, examines the tension between globalization and local diversity in Mexico. It argues that for municipalities to move beyond being mere operators of federal policy and become promoters of sustainable local development, Mexico must transition from a history of presidential centralism toward genuine decentralization and federalism that respects local autonomy and indigenous governance systems.