Access to information and freedom of expression

Institutional, legal and political challenges in access to information at the national level, identifying key allies and opponents. Case studies dealing with access to information and free prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples, as well as access to information from the perspective of a campaigning CSO and an investigative journalist project.

Moderator Tom Gibson, CPJ

Keynote: Marc Giacomini, DMD Global, EEAS
Keynote: Jeremy Wates, Secretary General of the European Environmental Bureau, former Secretary to the Aarhus Convention

Panellists
Joan Carling, Indigenous Peoples Major Group (Philippines/Denmark)
Laurent Richard, Journalist, Green Blood investigation, France
Patricia Gualinga, Indigenous activist from the Ecuadorian Amazon
Laura Bretea, Policy Officer, Freedom of Expression and Media, European Commission
Imelda Abano, Journalist and Founding President Philippine Network of Environmental Journalist (PNEJ)

Due diligence – Emerging practices and challenges

How much do the EU’s business and human rights agenda, partner country policies and Corporate Social Responsibility contribute to environmental human rights? What is the role of environmental HRDs and consumer rights activists?

Moderator: Debbie Stothard, FIDH

Panellists

Luisa Ragher, EEAS Global 1
Olivier De Schutter, Université Catholique de Louvain
Elard Selestine Mawala, IPIS, Tanzania
Ingrid Thorsnes, Senior Adviser for the Council on Ethics for the Government Pension Fund Global
Xavier Sol{/tip}, Director, Counter Balance

Risks and solutions to protect and empower environmental HRDs

Identifying key risks faced by environmental HRDs and their coping and survival strategies | reviewing international and regional policy responses and good practices to protect environmental HRDs

Moderator: Chiara Adamo, European Commission

Keynote: Michel Forst: “risks facing environmental HRDs worldwide”

Live testimonies from NGOs

Sharif Jamil, Buriganga Riverkeeper, Bangladesh

Neftali Reyes Menez

Promo Somwong ( Bee)

Protection International Thailand Representative

Presentation of key mechanisms:

Jaime Vidal Melero, Inter-American Commission
Furkat Tishaev, Office of CoE Commission for HR
Heller Waltraud,FRA
Christine Mardirossian, European Commission
Federica Donati, Coordinator of the Equality, Non-Discrimination and Participation Unit, OHCHR

Brief presentation and discussion of success stories in civil society and indigenous peoples’ participation in consultation and policy debates, and in ensuring accountability of officials and private sector actors.

Moderator: Nadia Costantini, EEAS
Panellists
{tip title="Dmitry Berezhkov" content="Dmitry Berezhkov, UiT Master Student and Former Vice-President of the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East (RAIPON)."}Dmitry Berezhkov, indigenous activist from Kamchatka, Russia
Trinh Le Nguyen, PanNature, Vietnam
Leslie Amanzuru, Friends of Zoka, Uganda
Maria Isabel Dajome Banguera, Fenix Recycling Association, Colombia
Marie-Ange Kalenga, Campaigner, FERN

An exchange of views on the options available to environmental HRDs, based on recent case studies of judicial redress, complaints to an ombudsman, corporate internal mechanisms and mediation.

Moderator:Debbie Stothard, FIDH
Panellists
Patrycja Pogodzinska, Project Manager – Legal Research, European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)
Miriam Miranda, Indigenous leader, OFRANEH, Honduras
Rizwana Hassan, Director of Bangladesh Environment Lawyers' Association
Maya Barkhudaryan, Analyst, Civil Society Institute, Armenia

Brief presentations of success stories and identification of key factors.

 Keynote: Hannah Neumann, MEP
 Moderator: Chiara Adamo, European Commission
Testimony
Representatives from civil society will present a two minute testimonial on creative new ways of engagement
Hernán Saenz Cortés, Innovative collective protection initiatives OXFAM
Mauricio Angel, Protection International
Rachel Owens, Head of EU Office, Global Witness, Belgium