..Press Release................................ UNESCAP News Services

Date 29 March 2005
Press Release No: G/05/2005

FRESH RESOLVE, INITIATIVES FOR TACKLING ENVIRONMENT

Seoul Initiative on Environmental Sustainable Development in Asia and Pacific (2006-2010) adopted

Seoul (United Nations Information Services)---Environment Ministers pushed ahead with constructive plans to improve the environment and eradicate poverty through environmentally sustainable Green Growth, at the end of a Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development, in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Some 52 countries adopted a Regional Implementation Plan for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific (2006-2010) and the Seoul Initiative on Environmentally Sustainable Economic Growth at the UNESCAP- led conference hosted by the Government of the Republic of Korea.

“Environmentally sustainable economic growth or Green Growth should be promoted as a basis for improving environmental sustainability and attaining the Millennium Development Goals in the region,” the Ministers declared in a Ministerial Declaration on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific, 2005. They agreed to alter current patterns of production, consumption and distribution and promote cleaner production systems.

“I believe that this conference was an outstanding achievement to promote our efforts towards a synergy between the environment and the economy to not only the Asia Pacific region but also to the entire world,” said H.E. Kwak Kul-Ho, Minister of Environment of the Republic of Korea.

The Seoul Initiative will help us in taking immediate action in implementing the commitments made within the framework of regional cooperation,” said Mr Kim Hak-Su Executive Secretary of UNESCAP. “The conference has given us several strong messages, that we should move away from ‘business as usual’ policies and programmes,” said Mr Kim.

Included in the far-reaching Regional Implementation Plan are numerous activities from promoting partnerships and economic tools to improve ecological efficiency, mobilizing technical and donor support, reviewing national laws and identifying, assessing, monitoring and building capacity to manage disaster risks.

Underpinning the plans, the Seoul Initiative, contains three targets: Improving environmental sustainability of economic growth, enhancing environmental performance in pollution control and ecosystem management and promoting the environment as a driver of economic growth and development. The Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth will be established to keep the momentum going.

For further information, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus, Chief, UN Information Services, Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-66; Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
Tel. in Republic of Korea: +82-2-3188225
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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