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The Conference on Environmental Governance and Democracy will take place at Yale University, New Haven, USA, from May 10-11, 2008, in the margins of the 16th Session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. The event brings together academic experts and practitioners from governments, inter-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector. Participants will take stock of contemporary research and knowledge gaps at the intersection of institutions, public participation and environmental sustainability.

The objective of the Conference is to develop a research program and network to strengthen institutional approaches for effective and context-sensitive public participation in environmental governance. Discussions will cover various levels of environmental governance, including international, national, regional, local, and corporate governance.

About 150 participants with diverse backgrounds and affiliations are expected to participate in the event. About 500 expression of interests were received.