IGSD’s mission is to promote just and sustainable societies and to protect the environment by advancing the understanding, development, and implementation of effective, and accountable systems of governance for sustainable development.
IGSD brings together professionals from around the world who are committed to strengthening environmental law and institutions to promote sustainable development.
IGSD advances:
- - Understanding of governance through research and education
- - Effective implementation of policies through capacity building, advice, and advocacy
- - Cooperation through networking
- - Enhanced public awareness through media including film and television
IGSD has a broad range of projects in a variety of regions. Its members include practitioners and scholars from a variety of developed and developing countries – including lawyers, political scientists, economists, scientists and others – representing a diversity of geographic regions, and a wide range of cultural, legal and political traditions.
Research & Education
IGSD seeks to advance the theory and practice of governance for sustainable development – with a special emphasis on the role of law – by supporting basic and applied research, graduate education and related activities in collaboration with leading academic institutions.
Advice & Advocacy
IGSD provides advisory services and legal advocacy on specific issues of reform to strengthen the practice of governance for sustainable development. For example, IGSD provides:
- - Ongoing pro-bono advice to a small group of developing countries in international trade negotiations
- - Legal counsel to advise the United Nations Environment Programme’s Economics and Trade Branch on issues of international economic and environmental law and policy
- - A Senior Economic Law Advisor to advise the Secretariat of the Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes, and attend meetings at the World Trade Organization on behalf of the Convention Secretariat
- IGSD provides advice and assistance on a pro-bono or reduced-cost basis to colleagues in citizens’ groups and developing country governments with the goal of supporting them to participate more effectively on key policy issues.
