Description

[Preliminary course description]:

Exploitation of natural resources often causes intractable conflicts between different interest groups. Due to globalization and the availability of information these conflicts tend to be getting more and more complicated and difficult to resolve. Environmental risks, and concern about them, are very often involved in such conflicts with these risks evaluated very differently by different stakeholders.

 

The course introduces theory, techniques and experiences in conflict resolution in resource management. In 2010, the focus will be on resource allocation in fisheries managment systems, mainly the Icelandic quota system, with regards to economic, social, environmental and ethical issues.

 

Students will also participate in a simulated decision-making process concerning environmental management in the form of role play around a practical case.

Learning outcomes

TBA

Assessment

TBA

Instructor

Helgi Áss Grétarsson, is a Legal researcher at the Law Faculty of the University of Iceland (since 2006) and a Ph.D. student at the same Faculty (since 2008). He has taught in the courses "Natural Resources III (Fisheries Management), Foreclosure and Forced Sale of Property and Law on Property" at the University of Iceland. Helgi holds a Cand. jur degree from the Faculty of Law of the University of Iceland. Published works include the book Icelandic legal history of fisheries management from settlement till 1990. Ritrod Lagastofnunar Haskola Islands. Ed. Matthiasson, Vidar. Reykjavik 2008. Published, peer-reviewed articles include: "How were quota entitlements in the Icelandic demersal fisheries created? Ongoing discussion on the stereotypical ideas of the Icelandic Fisheries Management System". Ulfljotur, Reykjavik 2009, pp. 179-227, "Allocation of harvest rights in cod from 1984-2007 - legal facts or fiction?" One hundred Anniversary book of the Law Faculty of the University of Iceland. Reykjavik, 2008, pp. 231-300, and "The procedure of direct foreclosure". Magazine for lawyers. Reykjavík, 2006, pp. 147-167.
Helgi teaches week 1, the Icelandic quota system (ITQ).

Anna teaches week 2, social implications of the Icelandic fisheries management system and selected cases of conflict resolution in fisheries management.

Páll Ásgeir Davíðsson holds a Cand. jur. degree from the Faculty of Law at the University if Iceland and an LL.M. degree from Columbia University in New York. He has more than a decade‘s experiance of working in the field of human rights, business and security. Páll founded and hold a position as the director of Ethikos - Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Iceland. He has also developed and taught classes on human rights and business as well as a class on international law with focus on international peace and security at the department of law at Reykjavík University, Iceland. Since 2007, Páll has been a visiting professor at Fordham University in New York, USA, where he has taught classes on CSR, human rights and business. Lastly, Páll has also worked for the United Nations in various locations, for example in mitigating negative impacts of business in DR of Congo, where conflict resolution in relation with human rights and allocation of natural resources has played a key role.
In week 3, Páll will guide students through the last week of the course, where emphasis will be put on hands-on practical sessions in conflict resolution in natural resource manangement.

Guest lecturer

Further reading