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UNDP
Deputy Resident Representative brings remarks of the UN Secretary
General in Green Leaf Awards on World Environment Day
Present in the event in the Hilton Grand Ballroom were amongst others The Honourable Doctor Roodal Moonilal, Minister of Housing and the Environment and Mrs. Moonilal, Mrs. Veronica Belgrave, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and the Environment, Mrs. Julianna Johan- Boodram, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and the Environment, Her Honour Sandra Paul, Chairman of the Environmental Commission, Members of the Board of Directors of the EMA, and Dr. Joth Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. In the feature address the Minister of Housing and the Environment referred to the importance of sustainable development taking into account the environment and highlighted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and in particular MDG Goal nr 7 relating to environmental sustainability. In addition to the MDGs the Minister also spoke about the ILO Decent Work agenda and its linkages to a sustainable environment for T&T.
Edo Stork mentioned it was a pleasure to be in this event organized by the EMA, especially as UNDP, together with the government of Trinidad and Tobago, helped to establish the EMA more than a decade ago. Earlier in the day Ms. Anna Cadiz, Coordinator of the GEF/Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) was present in the Green Lifestyle Show 2010 discussing the important work of the GEF/SGP in the country. Drafted Port of Spain, June 6th, 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL
--
MESSAGE ON
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
5 June
2010
Biodiversity, the incredible variety of life on Earth that sustains us, is in peril. Species are becoming extinct at the fastest rate ever recorded. Most of these extinctions are tied to human activities that are polluting and depleting water resources, changing and degrading habitats and altering the global climate. From frogs to gorillas, from huge plants to tiny insects, thousands of species are in jeopardy. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day, “Many Species. One Planet. One Future”, echoes the call of the International Year of Biodiversity to stop this mass extinction and raise awareness about the vital importance of the millions of species that inhabit our planet’s soils, forests, oceans, coral reefs and mountains. Our health, well-being and sustainable future depend on this intricate, delicate web of ecosystems and life. The global host of the 2010 World Environment Day celebration is Rwanda. This small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa is rapidly earning a reputation as a green pioneer. Home to 52 threatened species, including the rare mountain gorilla, Rwanda is showing how environmental sustainability can be woven into the fabric of a country’s economic growth. Despite its many challenges, including poverty and widespread land degradation, the “land of a thousand hills” is working to reforest, embrace renewable energies, pursue sustainable agriculture and develop a green vision for the future. This year, Kigali will be the heartbeat of a global, multicultural, intergenerational celebration of our planet, its millions of species and the countless ways in which life on Earth is interconnected. On World Environment Day, I appeal to everyone – from Kigali to Canberra, from Kuala Lumpur to Quito – to help us sound the alarm. Get involved, speak out. Learn and teach others. Show leadership and help clean up. Reconnect with nature, our life force. Together, we can develop a new vision for biodiversity: Many Species. One Planet. One Future.
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