APFED Booklet on Good Practices and Innovative Activities 2005 ...

Award
China
2006
Maintaining Environmental Sustainability via Legal Means
2006 2007 2008 2009
Project Site Location Beijing
Background - Problems Addressed and Policy Responses
The Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV)
was established in October 1998 by China University of
Political Science and Law and registered with the Judicial
Ministry of the PRC. They work together with legal experts
and scholars to provide free legal advice for pollution victims
applying via a hotline, letter or personal visit.
4-Pipes collecting polluted waters
Project Outline - Objectives and Activities
CLAPV aims to safeguard the environmental rights and interests of pollution victims via provision of
assistance in court proceedings, which also increases public awareness of environmental and legal rights,
thus promoting the enforcement and compliance of Chinese environmental laws. CLAPV’s objectives
include environmental law enforcement training, raising public awareness and improving environmental
legislation and assuring compliance with the Environmental and Natural Resources Law.
Impacts and Achievements
CLAPV offers legal assistance to environmental victims. Through June 2010, CLAPV had assisted in 150
environmental pollution cases, most of which have broadly impacted on society as they closely relate to
property, health and even lives of citizens. As a result of CLAPV’s activities in securing environmental rights
via legal means, the pressure is now on enterprises that have infringed rules or damaged the environment
and local governments lax in environmental protection. This raises public awareness of the need to protect
their environmental rights. CLAPV is also responsible for enactment and amendment of most of China’s
environmental laws.
Future Challenges
The challenges are to continue the hotline and ongoing training of legal personel in environmental
practice, as well as creation of consultancies and holding of seminars for NGOs and journalists. Although
CLAPV has set up an environmental public interest law firm, which will play an important role in training
environmental lawyers, more financial and programme support is needed to attract more full-time layers
into litigation and research, as well as to help form an overall environmental legal system.
General Information
Name of the Implementing Organisation:
Center for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims (CLAPV),
China University of Political Science and Laws
Type of Organisation: NGO/CBO
Contact: Wang Canfa
No 25. Xitucheng road, haidian District Beijing, China
Tel: +0086-10-62210318 Fax: +0086-10-62221291 E-mail: wcanfa@clapv.org
Website: http://www.clapv.org
Project Reviewer (NetRes / Collaborators) that monitors the project:
Mee young Choi, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) E-mail: apfed@iges.or.jp
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