A blueprint signed by 19 Arab environment ministers for sustainable development in the Arab world in the 21st century needs political and economic support, the United Nations said Sunday.
"The Abu Dhabi Declaration will serve as an important contribution to the review and appraisal of environmental issues in the Arab world," UN Environment Programme executive director Klaus Topfer said.
"But the declaration will need to be backed on the political and economic fronts," he said in a speech delivered by his deputy.
"The United Nations urges governments and people to enthusiastically and whole-heartedly participate in the global agenda and give attention to the priorities of the region, namely the quality and quantity of water, desertification and marine and coastal problems."
Nineteen Arab environment ministers unveiled their guidelines for plans and strategies for sustainable development on Saturday, ahead of a five-day environment conference in Abu Dhabi.
The Abu Dhabi Declaration focused on ways to protect the environment through rational exploitation of natural resources and the prevention of excessive pollution.
Emirati President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan vowed to "work with our Arab brothers and with relevant international bodies to implement it.
"Our environment and the resources within it are not ours. They are simply on loan to us and in our charge. It is the responsibility of us all to care for them and pass them on unharmed to future generations."
Saudi Prince Fahad bin Abdullah Al-Saud, head of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environment, called on Arab states to consolidate their work and increase general public awareness of environmental problems in the region.
"The fact that 19 Arab countries signed the declaration shows they are committed to facing up to the challenges of the coming decades and to participating fully in implementing a strategy for a better environment," Prince Fahad said.
The Arab world, and the Gulf in particular, suffers severe climatic conditions, acute water scarcity, lack of forest cover, shortage of arable land and extremely low environmental awareness among the general population.
It also suffers, according to the declaration, from "an unsustainable consumption of natural resources and rapid rates of urbanisation and associated problems."
The aim of sustainable development is to foster development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In his message, Sheikh Zayed also urged the United Nations to establish a body to organise emergency relief after natural disasters such as last week's earthquake in India.
"It is time that a global approach is taken to the issue of organising effective emergency relief to deal with disasters such as floods, droughts, hurricanes, tidal waves and earthquakes," the Emirati leader said.
"An effective international structure should be created to offer assistance on a global scale ... Such a structure should be created under the umbrella of the United Nations." — (AFP, Abu Dhabi)
by Luke Phillips
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
