Law and Biodiversity: Fulfilment of Obligations under International Law, Strategic Planning, and Litigation

On 28 April 2026 at 5.00 pm, the International and Comparative Law Research will host a roundtable discussion on the topic “Law and Biodiversity: Fulfilment of Obligations under International Law, Strategic Planning, and Litigation”.

In the context of the triple planetary crisis — climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss — coordinated action is required across all areas of environmental protection. Although climate issues have taken centre stage on the international and national legal agendas in recent years, biodiversity conservation is also of fundamental importance and deserves wide coverage.

The roundtable proposes a structured approach to the existing regulation of measures taken by States and private actors to conserve biodiversity and will address not only international legal processes but also the implementation of specific obligations at the national and corporate levels. Attention will also be given to the major trends of litigation in this field at both the international and domestic levels.

Among the speakers*:

• Alexander Shestakov, Chief Expert, Ecology Division, Lomonosov Moscow State University Marine Research Center, independent expert in biodiversity
• Svetlana Sheinfeld, Director, Operation Risk and Sustainability, Kept
• Sergey Rybakov, Director General, Nature and People Foundation
• Olga Krever, Deputy Director, Roszapovedtsentr of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation
• Anzhela Shmakova, Associate Researcher in Public International Law at Climate and Environment, ICLRC

Topics to be discussed include*:

• International legal regime for the conservation of biological diversity
• National Biodiversity Plans and Strategies under the Convention on Biological Diversity
• National regulation of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, methods for biodiversity impact assessment
• Seventh National Report of the Russian Federation to the Convention on Biological Diversity
• Prospects for cooperation in the field of biodiversity conservation
• Litigation as a means of conserving biological diversity

The event will take place at the ICLRC library and will also be broadcast online. The working language of the event is Russian. 

*The programme is subject to change