2024

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30.01.2024 PhD Researcher Daniel Alejo delivered a presentation entitled "Ecocentric networks and stakeholders' role in the transformation of ecological disputes", during the Webinar "Eco-social crisis and judicial activism" organised by the Curiae Virides team. 

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30.01.2024 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas delivered a presentation entitled "The Role of NGOs in Environmental Disputes involving Value Chain Due Diligence in the context of OECD National Contact Points", in the context of the Webinar on Eco-social crisis and judicial activism organised by the Curiae Virides team. 

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2023

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16.12.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was guest speaker on Climate Justice & Litigation at the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) Benelux Conference- Brussels.

 

6.12.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo-Rodriguez organized and chaired the round table Crossing the Planetary Boundaries: A View from the Business and Human Rights Framework and Global Environmental Justice. First welcoming event of the International Inter- and Transdisciplinary Conference The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Rethinking and constructing its future together, organized by the University of Ghent, Human Rights Research Network.

 

23.11.2023: PI Liliana Lizarazo-Rodriguez  was invited to a Panel on “Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive” at Risk Frontiers Benelux conference: the ESG: the new frontier of risk and insurance management | Antwerp| 23 November 2023. 

 

14.11.2023: PI Liliana-Lizarazo Rodriguez was interviewed by members of the Young Environmental Research & Advocacy - YERA HUB (The Netherlands) on the amendment of the Environmental Crime Directive. 

 

19.9.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo-Rodriguez presented the ERC Curiae Virides project at the ELO workshop on ERC grants – Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

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5.9.2023:  PI L.Lizarazo-Rodriguez, A.Lopes Fabris and D.Montag presented the draft paper “Indigenous peoples as trustees of forests: implementing the framework of sustainable development from a bio-social-cultural perspective” at the Interfor Conference: Forests at the Crossroads of International Law, organised by the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen. 

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07.07.2023 PI Lilana Lizarazo Rodriguez, PhDs Daniel Alejo and Joao de Freitas presented “Addressing transnational ecological challenges from below: a global perspective” at the 7th International Conference European University Institute - University of Portsmouth: Climate, Energy, and Environmental Justices and Transitions: rethinking global environmental law, Florence

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16.06.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented Building databases and mapping dynamic processes: Insights from the Curiae Virides database: Objectives, design, and methods to collect data on the transformation   of ecological conflicts into lawsuits at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

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16.06.2023 Postdoc. Max Eriksson and Ph.D Milla Cieszkowsky presented Preliminary Findings: Collected data and how We Plan to use it at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
 

16.06.2023 Postdoc. Max Eriksson chaired the session Expert discussion: key concerns when building databases at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

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16.06.2023 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas presented a draft article entitled "OECD National Contact Points, environmental disputes and environmental due diligence: An empirical overview" the ERC Curiae Virides Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team. The presentation was discussed by Dr. Karin Buhmann (Centre for Law, Sustainability & Justice, University of Southern Denmark; and Copenhagen Business School).

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16.06.2023 Ph.D Milla Cieszkowsky chaired the session Building databases and mapping dynamic processes at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

 

15.06.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the Transnational ecological conflicts: conceptual and regulatory options that shape strategies to bring them before courts. The approach of the ERC Curiae Virides research project at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

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15.06.2023 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas chaired an expert discussion entitled "Unpacking key concepts: transnational ecological conflicts and lawsuits presented the Transnational ecological conflicts: conceptual and regulatory options that shape strategies to bring them before courts.". This session took place in the context of the the ERC Curiae Virides Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

 

15.06.2023 Phd Daniel Alejo chaired the session The Complexity and multiple dimensions of transnational ecological conflicts at the Expert Workshop: Opening the Black Box of Transnational Ecological Conflicts: Methods, Concepts and Transformations, organised by the ERC Curiae Virides Team at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

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05.06.2023 PI L. Lizarazo Rodriguez was interviewed for in 2 podcasts of the Amateur podcast for mature human rights concerns, of E. Toporova's Capstone project within the framework of the Master of Laws in Human Rights program at the Central European University.

Episode 1 “New Mechanisms under CSDDD: Challenges and Opportunities"

Episode 2. “Where to start and how to overcome the challenges”

 

05.05.2023 PI L. Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered her final lecture:  "Curiae Virides: Transforming Ecological Conflicts Into Lawsuits  Do activist movements and courts fill ecological governance gaps and generate a waterfall effect on victims?"  Universiteit Antwerpen, LLM, Module Sustainable Development and Global Justice.

 

03.05.2023 PI L. Lizarazo Rodriguez was discussant at the panel "The EU Laws and Policies on Value Chain Due Diligence: What are the Prospects for Addressing Global Challenges?" This panel was organized by the Curiae Virides research team, together with some members of the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies, Universiteit Ghent and UNU-CRIS, in the framework of the #EUIA23: Europe’s Pathways to (Dis)Engagement with the World held in Brussels, 3-5 May 2023.

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03.05.2023 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas presented a draft paper entitled "Prioritisation of Risk in Cross-Thematic Due Diligence" during the panel "The EU Laws and Policies on Value Chain Due Diligence: What are the Prospects for Addressing Global Challenges?". This panel was organized by the Curiae Virides research team, together with some members of the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies, Universiteit Ghent and UNU-CRIS, in the framework of the #EUIA23: Europe’s Pathways to (Dis)Engagement with the World held in Brussels, 3-5 May 2023.

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02.05.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez  was jury of the PhD thesis "Socio-Technical Transformations for Decentralized Energy Systems: A Transition Study of Energy Communities", defended by Maria Luisa Lode. Faculty of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School, Department of Mobility, Logistics, and Automotive Research Center. Vrije Universiteit Brussel.  

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26.04.2023 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas presented a draft paper entitled "The legal operability of cross-thematic risk-based due diligence – reflections on mechanisms for prioritisation and hierarchisation of risks". This paper was presented in the context of ECPR's Joint Sessions of Workshops, Sciences Po, Toulouse. The paper was presented in a Workshop entitled "Towards a New Era of Environmental Risk Regulation in the EU? Analysing the EU Regulatory Approach in a Comparative Perspective", and discussed by Ronit Justo-Hanani and Chiara Russo.

 

21.03.2023 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas presented a draft paper entitled "OECD National Contact Points, Environmental Disputes and Environmental Due Diligence: Method, Concepts and Outlook". This paper was presented in the context of a Research Colloquium organised by the BSoG. The event was chaired by Sebastian Oberthür and the invited discussant was Chiara Macchi (Wageningen University).

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17.03.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the topic "EU Legislative Trends on the Role of States and Companies Related to Climate Issues", at the Klimaat Bootcamp, 2023, organized by Mobilise, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.  

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01.03.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was interviewed as an expert on National Baseline Assessments on Business and Human Rights by the Danish Institute for Human Rights on An Overview of National Baseline Assessments on Business and Human Rights, (February, 2023). This report assesses NBAs from 31 countries.

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15.02.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was jury in the public defense of the PhD thesis: "Effectiveness of the Indigenous Justice of Jach’a Karangas in the Framework of the Egalitarian and Plural Justice of Bolivia" defended by Leonardo Villafuerte Philippsborn. Universiteit Antwerpen- Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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19.01.2023 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was jury in the public defense of the PhD thesis: "Deep Seabed Mining in the Area: Investment Protection and the Common Heritage of Mankind" defended by Alberto Pecoraro, Universiteit Antwerpen. 

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2022

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29.11.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez participated in a Panel Debate “How is ESG embedded in governance?” at the Awards for Best Belgian Sustainability Reports 2022 organized by The Belgian Institute of Registered Auditors (IBR-IRE). More information here

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15.11.2022 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas was discussant in a book panel on the forthcoming work by Dr Aleydis Nissen - "The European Union, Emerging Global Business and Human Rights" (Cambridge University Press). The event was organised at the BSoG.  

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4.10.2022 PhD Researcher Xavier Farré Fabregat delivered a presentation titled "The Right to a Healthy Environment: Towards another paradigm to protect the planet?" in the context of the IUCN WCEL 2022 Oslo International Environmental Law Conference. The content of the presentation was joinly elaborated with Pl Liliana Lizarazo Rodríguez.

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28.9.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez chaired the jury of the PhD thesis: The relevance of transnational lawmaking by non-sovereign actors: A study of two cases of rulemaking on REDD+ defended by Ernesto Roessing Neto, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Universite Libre de Bruxelles

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20.9.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was Guest speaker on Business and Human Rights in the training for junior diplomats from Latin America and the Caribbean organised by the Cringendael Institute (The Hague). 

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15.9.2022 PhD Researcher Xavier Farré Fabregat delivered a presentation titled "Stakeholders' Engagement in the transformation of Ecological Conflicts into Litigation". This presentation was delivered in the context of the Research Colloquia organized by the Brussels School of Governance. 

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1.9.2022 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez  delivered a guest lecture on Law and Development, SDGs and back to courts: Governance Gaps for vulnerable communities, Dev at the Workshop on Law, Development And Sustainability Centre for Law, Justice and Development, National Law University Delhi  ]In association with the Research Group on Law and Development, University of Antwerp. 

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31.8.2022 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez  delivered a guest lecture on Millennium Development Goals and 2030 Agenda: Parallels and Divergences (salient features of SDGs and Implementation Process) at the Workshop on Law, Development And Sustainability Centre for Law, Justice and Development, National Law University Delhi  In association with the Research Group on Law and Development, University of Antwerp.

 

18.8.2022 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered her annual guest lecture on Theories of law and development in the XXI Century: From Law and Development towards Law and Sustainable Development at the Center for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa. 

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23.6.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was jury of the PhD thesis, Relations of Duty in an Age of Rights: A study of the supply side of human rights in the context of maritime migration, defended by K. Gombeer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Universiteit Leiden. 

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16.6.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the paper “The sustainability challenges for agri-food value chains” (coauthored with Marijke D’Haese (UGent)) at the Conference of the International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS), hosted by the Marie Cederschiöld University, Stockholm School of Economics, Swedish Defence University, Stockholm University of the Arts, Södertörn University and University College Stockholm.

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15.6.2022 PhD researcher João Teixeira de Freitas delivered a presentation entitled "Human Rights Due Diligence and Environmental Due Diligence - Friends or Foes?" in the context of the PhD workshop organised at the NILG Annual Conference on Business, Human Rights and the Living Environment at Wageningen University and research, Netherlands.

 

7.6.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez , together with Boris Verbrugge (HIVA-KUL) presented Gaps in the Belgian Business & Human Rights Framework and presentation of stakeholder contributions for the 2nd Belgian NAP – at the event Business & Human Rights in Practice: Inspiration for Belgian Stakeholders organized by the Federal Institute for Sustainable Development.

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2.6.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was jury of the PhD thesis, The role of international  (quasi-)judicial mechanisms  in ensuring reparation for arbitrary displacement, defended by Debora Casalin at the University of Antwerp, Faculty of Law. 

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1.6.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez participated in the workshop on Business and Human Rights organised by Flanders Investment and Trade and Cifal Flanders. You find more information here 

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19.5.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez participated on the Workshop organised by DEVE (European Parliament) on  Tackling environmental criminality in developing countries. She presented the EU policy coherence regarding victims of transnational environmental crimes. You can see the programme here.

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17.05.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered the ERC Inaugural Lecture for the project Curiae Virides. Liliana presented the project and the team in an event which took place in a physical format in Brussels. This event was organised by the Vice-Rector of Research and the European Liaison Office of the VUB. 

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12.05.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez and PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas presented a draft paper entitled 'The EU’s approach to extraterritorial adverse impacts on ecosystems'. The presentation took place in the context of the Interdisciplinary conference on European Advanced Studies (IDEAS) organised by the Institut d'études européennes of the ULB, in collaboration with the Institute for European Studies of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (IES-VUB) and the Politics and International Studies Department at the University of Warwick (PaIS-UoW).

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29.03.2022 PhD Researcher Xavier Farré Fabregat chaired the webinar on The multiple faces of ecocide as a new crime against humanity: challenges and opportunities for states and companies organised by the Curiae Virides Research Team and End Ecocide Belgium.

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29.03.2021 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the topic “Conceptualizing the roots of ecocide: Anthropocentric, biocultural and ecocentric views on the protection of ecosystems” at the webinar on The multiple faces of ecocide as a new crime against humanity: challenges and opportunities for states and companies organised by the Curiae Virides Research Team and End Ecocide Belgium.

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18.3.2022 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered her annual guest lecture on Regional Protection of Human Rights at the Master in Public Policy and Human Development (University of Maastricht). More info about the topic? Liliana.Lizarazo.Rodriguez@Vub.be

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8.3.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez participated in an ELO session on Horizon Europe at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel d the gender dimension in research. The session sought to enhance know-how and clarity on what is the gender dimension of research, how to integrate and make relevant use of this award criteria in your research project and to identify  the aspects of gender requests in preparing a research project proposal.

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24.02.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was guest speaker at the European Master on Law and Economics at the University of Ghent. The presentation was about the transformation of law and economic development into law and sustainable development.

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21.02.2022 PhD Researcher Xavier Farré Fabregat delivered an introductory presentation at the webinar Forest Fires in Mediterranean Europe: Building Up to the Courts? organised by the Curiae Virides team.

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27.01.2022 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the paper Human Rights and Climate Change: Modern Anthropocentric Dutch Courts vs Neo-constitutional (Postmodern Ecocentric) Colombian Courts at the conference Beyond Anthropocentric Interests and Values? Human Rights and Climate Change funded by the Global Transformations and Governance Challenges Leiden University Initiative

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2021

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21.12.2021 PhD Researcher João Teixeira de Freitas delivered a presentation entitled - "Due Diligence and Transnational Ecological Conflicts - A conceptual framework". This presentation was delivered in the context of the Research Colloquia organised at the Brussels School of Governance. 

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21.10.2021 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered a guest lecture on Global Governance of Ecological Conflicts in the course Globalization, International Law & Sustainable Development from the LLM of International and European Law of the Brussels School of Governance.

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20.10.2021 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered a guest lecture on Global Governance of Corporate Accountability in the course Globalization, International Law & Sustainable Development from the LLM of International and European Law of the Brussels School of Governance.

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14.10.2021 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the topic : The Role of the state and companies in protecting and respecting water access rights: comparing Nile and Congo basin cases, at the webinar Water Rights and Water Fights: Transboundary Water Governance in Africa, organised by the Curiae virides teams in collaboration with UNU-CRIS.   

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8.10.2021 PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez participated in the Workshop on the GNHRE Principles for the Implementation of Escazú organized by Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment.

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19.8.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodríguez delivered a guest lecture on  Theories of law and development in the XXI Century: From the right to development towards multidimensional sustainable development, organized by the Center for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, South Africa. 

4.8.2021 -  Afaf Rahim chaired a parallel session at the African Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AFAERE) Virtual Inaugural Conference. 

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22.6.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodríguez presented on the 8th  Economic Analysis of Litigation Workshop a preliminary draft on Strategic litigation, public interest litigation and claiming rights for ecosystems: who are the choice architects of this phenomenon?. 

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28.5.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered a guest lecture on Business and Human Rights in Belgium in the framework of the seminar Empresas y Derehos humanos organized by the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru.

 

27.5.2021 - João Teixeira de Freitas delivered a presentation at the VUB PhD Day entitled 'Transnational Ecological Conflicts, Courts and the Sustainable Development Goals'. The presentation covered an introduction to the Curia Virides research project. It then provided an overview of the connections between law and the SGDs, along with considerations concerning the role of law and courts in advancing sustainable development goals.

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25.5.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered a guest lecture on Corporate responsibility to protect ​human rights and the environment ​at the Thomas More of applied sciences university (Belgium). More info about the topic? Liliana.Lizarazo.Rodriguez@Vub.be

 

4.5.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the topic: "Can judges nudge national governments to protect the forest?: at the webinar Protecting the Amazon Region: Governance Gaps, organised by the Curiae Virides team in collaboration with UNU-CRIS.

 

27.4.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez moderated the Conference on Protected Areas: Human right perspectives on environmental degradation and the rights of indigenous people , organized by Vesalius College (BSoG).

 

22.4.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez was external jury of the PhD defense on CSR in mining activities in Peru, at the Westminster University (Faculty of Law).  

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18.3.2021 - Greening human rights: the role of ecocentric courts: PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez presented the main topics addressed by the research project Curiae Virides. The session was chaired by Doreen Montag. The event was organized by the Queen Mary University of London (The Blizard Institute) and The Queen Mary Latin America Network (QMLAN).

 

11.3.2021 - PI Liliana Lizarazo Rodriguez delivered her annual guest lecture on Regional Protection of Human Rights at the Master in Public Policy and Human Development (University of Maastricht). More info about the topic? Liliana.Lizarazo.Rodriguez@Vub.be

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