Marcos Orellana (back row center, in suit and tie) and Linnea Miller (back row, far right) at the COP16 event in Cali, Columbia.

From October 19 through November 2, the United Nation’s (UN) bi-annual biodiversity conference the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16), brought together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders to address the urgent challenges facing our planet's biodiversity. This important gathering highlighted the critical need for interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle complex environmental issues. 

AUWCL Professor Marcos Orellana, a prominent figure in the field of environmental law and human rights, emphasized the importance of a comprehensive approach that considers both human well-being and ecological health. From October 21 to 25, 2024, Orellana served as a panelist on several side-events, commenting on illegal gold mining in the Amazon, the energy transition and lithium mining in the Andean wetlands, and the adverse impact of glyphosate spraying on both human and environmental health, among others.

Orellana highlighted the devastating impact of illegal mining and pesticide use on vulnerable communities and ecosystems and praised the gathering of ecological advocates. “CBD COP16 was an invaluable opportunity to connect with a dynamic civil society movement working on biodiversity and toxics issues,” he said.

A younger generation of environmental advocates including alumni and current students, such as Linnea Miller, is also making significant contributions. Miller is a 2L evening student at AUWCL supporting Orellana's work as a PEEL Dean's Fellow for the Global Toxics & Human Rights Project. Miller was able to attend COP16 through the PEEL Student Experiential Learning Education Initiative which provided her with opportunities to network with legal professionals working at the intersection of environmentalism and human rights. 

The PEEL Initiative provides funding for internships, attendance at specialized conferences and international treaty negotiations, participation in moot court competitions, and independent research projects in natural resources law, enabling students to apply the legal skills they develop in doctrinal classes and connect their academic pursuits and passions to real-world challenges.
"The discussions at COP16 highlighted the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling issues that affect vulnerable communities,” Miller said. “It is inspiring to see how legal frameworks can be utilized to champion their rights."

Leading experts from around the world shared their insights and recommendations at COP16. Maria Juliana Pedraza ’24, a seasoned environmental lawyer and AUWCL LLM alum, emphasized the importance of translating ambitious goals into concrete actions. She highlighted the need for innovative solutions, such as nature-based approaches, to address climate change and biodiversity loss. “COP16 aims to transform promises into concrete actions,” Pedraza said. “It has been a landmark dialogue to advance nature-based solutions, foster innovation and scale up nature finance, all focusing on sustainable practices. Establishing partnerships among stakeholders is essential to strengthen our collective responsibility to make peace with nature.”

Claudia S. de Windt, an AWUCL adjunct professor and alumna, was the head of a delegation representing the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability (IIJS), a private venture with a public interest social and environmental mission that works at the interface between public and corporate sustainability policy.

IIJS’s participation at COP16 was focused on identifying new commitments for Investor and private sector Action in the Global 2050 Vision for Biodiversity and opportunities in managing nature-related risks in supply chains in Latin-American and the Caribbean. de Windt was also there on behalf of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) where she serves as member of the steering committee of the World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL).

de Windt emphasized the critical role of the private sector in driving sustainable development. She called for increased investment in nature-based solutions and the adoption of robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.

“Under the theme of peace with nature, tense negotiations and vibrant stakeholder participation at COP16 illustrated the need for public private investment in nature-based solutions that are grounded on the rule of law and coherent with environmental and social safeguards,” de Windt said.
Two other AUWCL alumnus, Félix Wing Solís and Gustavo Alanís Ortega, highlighted the importance of protecting environmental defenders and strengthening the rule of law. 

Solis attended COP16 in his capacity as Director of the newly created Fundación Corazón Verde Latam, which supports Panama using Green AI for climate scenario planning, together with their Dutch partners from Happy.Green. 

As one of the seven members of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (CSIC) of the Escazú Agreement, Solis made CSIC members available to the Colombian government and public, and especially to environmental human rights defenders, in helping them develop their capacities on access to information, participation and justice in environmental matters.
 IIJS delegation at COP16

“Treaties do not self-implement,” Solis said. “They have to be implemented by State Parties. However, they cannot do it alone. The capacities of all stakeholders need to be continuously developed, and environmental defenders need to be effectively protected, so that they can all support this process.”
Ortega attended COP16 as the founder and director of Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (Mexican Environmental Law Center or CEMDA). Through his work at CEMDA, Ortega works to promote and defend the right to a healthy environment in Mexico.

Ortega explained that COP16 highlighted the urgent need for increased global funding to protect biodiversity. It also highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts between various international environmental agreements, like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Escazú Agreement, and the CBD itself.

“This meeting strongly emphasized the need to do more worldwide in support of environmental defenders, so that the threats, killings, and intimidation they face are reduced and ultimately eliminated over time,” Ortega said. “Additionally, it became clear that it is important to promote and implement the rights of access to justice, access to information, and public participation in environmental decision-making.”

You can read more about COP16 here.