London Green MEP, Jean Lambert, will be taking part in the Peace Brigades International UK conference entitled “The environment and its defenders under threat: deforestation, mega projects and human rights in Latin America, Africa and Asia” in Westminster on Thursday 26th June. The event will look at the dangers for those defending the rights of indigenous communities and the threats to biodiversity presented by deforestation, pollution and mono-crop cultivation.
Jean Lambert MEP said:
“The protection of the human rights of those who defend their communities and environment has become more important and urgent. Most of us take for granted the rule of law and the right to uphold it. Yet in many countries around the world, environment and human rights defenders face intimidation, threats, and even the risk of being murdered.
“This key event will explore what needs to be done in the international community to prevent such abuses and to halt the destruction of the great forests that we all depend upon for a stable climate.”
The conference will take part on Thursday 26th June 2008 in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, from 9am – 7pm.
Jean Lambert MEP will be chairing a panel debate on International Organisations working in Europe from 5-7pm, which will look at the European and international driving forces behind environmental damage and human rights violations. The session will explore whether the policies designed for protecting biodiversity and climate change are working and what else should be done. The panellists will include Veerle Dossche from the Forests and the European Union Resource Network, Peter Frankental from the Economic Relations Programme at Amnesty International UK and Liz Gallagher, Policy Researcher on Climate Change from CAFOD.