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This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law argues against the inclusion of a "supremacy clause" in the draft Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Convention. The author contends that such a clause, which suggests the convention will not affect rights and obligations under existing international agreements, would effectively subordinate environmental goals to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and undermine the ability of nations to implement trade-related environmental measures.

This 1999 guide by the Center for International Environmental Law provides activists with legal arguments to defend mandatory genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling against challenges from the World Trade Organization (WTO). It analyzes the application of the TBT and SPS Agreements, arguing that labeling is consistent with trade rules when based on the consumer's right to know and non-food-safety considerations.

A letter from a broad coalition of religious leaders and faith-based organizations addressed to President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, urging the U.S. government to implement a strong policy to protect roadless areas in national forests.

This document is a participant list for the Sixth Meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP) held in Ottawa, Canada. It lists representatives from various countries (including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, and the USA), observers from other nations and organizations (such as Bolivia, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, APN, CARICOM, OAS, and WMO), and IAI staff.

This document is a participant list for the Ninth Meeting of the IAI Executive Council (EC), held in Ottawa, Canada.

The report proposes the creation of a 'Compliance Fund' to allow Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol to avoid non-compliance by paying fees for GHG mitigation credits when market options are unavailable. It advocates for this fund over 'borrowing' from future periods and suggests a 'Compliance Assessment' system, enforceable through domestic courts via a 'Recognition Agreement,' to penalize and remedy willful non-compliance.

This report details the outcomes and recommendations of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Communications Task Force meeting held on April 15-16, 1999, in Miami, USA. The group evaluated communication achievements from June 1997 to April 1999 and proposed strategies to improve the IAI's visibility, digital presence, and publication efficiency.

This 1999 consulting report by the IISD Business Trust, submitted to the Government of Canada, proposes a five-year engagement strategy to raise climate change awareness and motivate emissions reductions among Canadian youth aged 13 to 29. Moving beyond simple social marketing, the strategy emphasizes an 'engagement' model that positions youth as leaders and participants. It is structured around three interrelated streams: information and awareness campaigns, capacity building for youth, and community actions, with a strong emphasis on intergenerational and multisectoral collaboration.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) details a legal challenge to Plant Patent No. 5,751, issued to Loren Miller for a variety of the Amazon rainforest plant Banisteriopsis caapi (used to make ayahuasca). The challenge, supported by COICA and the Amazon Coalition, argues the patent is invalid because the plant's medicinal properties and physical features are already known as 'prior art' and the plant exists in an uncultivated state. Beyond this specific case, the authors call for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to review how traditional knowledge and biological diversity are treated under patent law to prevent the appropriation of indigenous resources without consent.

This document is a detailed statement submitted by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) requesting the reexamination of U.S. Plant Patent No. 5,751. The patent, issued to Loren S. Miller for a cultivar of Banisteriopsis caapi named "Da Vine," is challenged on the grounds that the plant is neither new nor distinct, is found in an uncultivated state, and violates public policy and morality by appropriating sacred indigenous knowledge.

This research paper by Mark Malan of the Institute for Security Studies examines South Africa's potential roles in resolving the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as of March 1999. It analyzes various scenarios—ranging from a firm peace agreement to the absence of a cease-fire—and proposes an unconventional 'Renaissance peacekeeping' model that co-opts belligerent statutory forces into a multinational operation.

A joint proposal by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF emphasizing the need for a carefully designed compliance system for the Kyoto Protocol to ensure greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are met.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) reviews various international decision-making models to assist negotiators establishing a regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) in the Western and Central Pacific. It analyzes a spectrum of mechanisms—from strict consensus to majority voting—evaluating how different models balance state sovereignty with the need for timely, science-based environmental action.

This 1999 research paper examines the 'peace pyramid' model of conflict management in Africa, which positions the UN at the top, subregional organisations at the base, and the OAU as the intermediary. The author argues that while subregional bodies like ECOWAS and SADC are often more motivated to intervene in local conflicts, they lack institutionalised mechanisms and are built upon weak states. The paper concludes that sustainable security requires a focus on state-building, good governance, and the creation of permanent, impartial bureaucratic structures within subregional organisations rather than relying on ad hoc military responses.

The Zambia Country Study, published in January 1999 by the Stockholm Environment Institute, evaluates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation strategies for Zambia. The report establishes baseline and mitigation scenarios for the energy and forestry sectors up to 2030, identifying low-cost options to reduce CO2 emissions, such as improving household cooking efficiency and enhancing natural forest regeneration.

This case study examines a legal dispute between Grand Mines (Pty) Ltd and the liquidator of Bercon Mines (Pty) Ltd regarding whether the obligation to rehabilitate an opencast mine was reciprocal to the obligation to pay for delivered coal. The Supreme Court of Appeal ultimately dismissed the appeal by Grand Mines, ruling that the obligations were not reciprocal.

This amicus brief, submitted by the Center for International Environmental Law and other organizations, argues that United States import prohibitions on shrimp harvested without turtle excluder devices (TEDs) are consistent with WTO rules. The brief contends that these measures are justified under GATT Article XX as necessary for the conservation of endangered sea turtles, a goal supported by international environmental law and the principles of sustainable development.

This research paper examines the environmental impacts of cotton production and textile processing in Pakistan, analyzing the sector through the lens of global commodity chains. It highlights the ecological and health costs of heavy pesticide use in farming and the pollution caused by chemical dyes in textile manufacturing, while evaluating the governance structures that hinder or facilitate a transition to sustainable practices.

This research paper describes Singapore's strategies for integrating environmental protection with economic growth, focusing on the use of market-based instruments, international standards, and productivity programs to achieve sustainable development.

This research paper examines the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on greenhouse gas emission reduction trading in Costa Rica and the role of shade-grown coffee in biodiversity and carbon sequestration in El Salvador.