Three overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — the Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Colombia-based Dejusticia, and Lebanon-based The Legal Agenda — have won this year’s Tang Prize for their significant contributions to the rule of law, the Tang Prize Selection Committee announced yesterday.
The NGOs were given the prize “for their efforts in furthering the rule of law and its institutions through education and advocacy,” according to the award citation released by the Tang Prize Foundation.
The organizations have shown exemplary perseverance in promoting greater individual, social and environmental justice in areas where the foundations of the rule of law are severely challenged, the foundation said.
Photo: CNA
Established in 1992, BELA is dedicated to promoting environmental justice and developing sound environmental jurisprudence in Bangladesh, the committee said in a statement.
The NGO promotes “rule of law and environmental justice through public interest litigation, advocacy, research and publication, as well as capacity-building for actors in the public sector and civil society,” the committee said.
BELA has initiated more than 250 public interest lawsuits and advocated for legislative reform on environmental justice.
Among the issues it has covered are river pollution, industrial pollution, vehicular pollution, illegal construction, labor welfare, illegal mining, wetland protection, prevention of soil erosion, reduction of plastic use, and prevention of ship pollution, the committee said.
The association was in June 2003 listed on the UN Environment Program’s Global 500 Roll of Honor for generating broader awareness about environmental law and environmental justice.
In 2009, BELA chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her public interest work in environmental conservation.
Sharing the Tang Prize is the research and advocacy organization Dejusticia, which was founded in 2005 and has made important contributions to the rule of law with its relentless campaigns, the committee said.
Dejusticia “efficiently combines rigorous academic research with energetic social action on human rights issues,” and is “deeply committed to social change through activism informed by research,” the committee said.
The organization aims to strengthen rule of law through litigation, notably filing and winning landmark cases on sensitive issues such as discrimination (race and gender), indigenous peoples’ rights, the rights of refugees, transitional justice and environmental degradation, the committee said.
It said that the group has litigated cases in Colombian courts and in international legal forums across Latin America.
The Legal Agenda, established in 2009, has “successfully strengthened judicial independence and the rule of law in Lebanon through a multidisciplinary approach,” the committee said.
Its main activities include monitoring the functions of the judiciary, advocating for legislative change and promoting a stronger societal fabric in support of judicial independence, it said.
The organization speaks for marginalized groups and promotes legal protection for migrant workers, refugees, LGBT groups, and the families of victims of forced disappearances, the committee said.
It has also done significant work in promoting social awareness about the protection of rights and the rule of law, the committee said, adding that its pioneering approach has expanded beyond Lebanon to other Arab countries.
The Tang Prize was established by Taiwanese businessman and philanthropist Samuel Yin (尹衍樑), chairman of the Ruentex Group, and was first awarded in 2014.
Every two years, the Tang Prize celebrates achievers in four fields — sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology and rule of law.
A week-long program revolving around the award ceremony is to begin on Sept. 20.
Trips for more than 100,000 international and domestic air travelers could be disrupted as China launches a military exercise around Taiwan today, Taiwan’s Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) said yesterday. The exercise could affect nearly 900 flights scheduled to enter the Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR) during the exercise window, it added. A notice issued by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration showed there would be seven temporary zones around the Taiwan Strait which would be used for live-fire exercises, lasting from 8am to 6pm today. All aircraft are prohibited from entering during exercise, it says. Taipei FIR has 14 international air routes and
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) today released images of the military tracking China’s People's Liberation Army (PLA) movements during the latest round of Chinese drills around Taiwan. The PLA began "Justice Mission 2025" drills today, carrying out live-fire drills, simulated strikes on land and maritime targets, and exercises to blockade the nation's main ports. The exercises are to continue tomorrow, with the PLA announcing sea and air space restrictions for five zones around Taiwan for 10 hours starting from 8:30am. The ministry today released images showing a Chinese J-16 fighter jet tracked by a F-16V Block 20 jet and the
Snow fell on Yushan (Jade Mountain, 玉山) yesterday morning as a continental cold air mass sent temperatures below freezing on Taiwan’s tallest peak, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Snowflakes were seen on Yushan’s north peak from 6:28am to 6:38am, but they did not fully cover the ground and no accumulation was recorded, the CWA said. As of 7:42am, the lowest temperature recorded across Taiwan was minus-5.5°C at Yushan’s Fengkou observatory and minus-4.7°C at the Yushan observatory, CWA data showed. On Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County, a low of 1.3°C was recorded at 6:39pm, when ice pellets fell at Songsyue Lodge (松雪樓), a
NO SHAME IN RETREAT: Hikers should consider turning back if the weather turns bad or if they do not have sufficient equipment, the Taroko park headquarters said Two people died of hypothermia over the weekend while hiking on Hsuehshan (雪山), prompting park authorities to remind hikers to bring proper equipment and consider their physical condition before setting out in the cold weather. Temperatures dropped over the weekend, bringing snow to high altitudes in Shei-pa National Park. One hiker, surnamed Lin (林), who on Friday was traveling with a group of six along the Hsuehshan west ridge trail, lost consciousness due to hypothermia and died, the Shei-pa National Park Headquarters said. On Saturday, another hiker, surnamed Tien (田), in a group of five on the southeast of the west
RSS