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UNESCO:
KING CARL XVI GUSTAF OF SWEDEN CALLS CLIMATE CHANGE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THE
WORLD FACES TODAY: 17/10/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 17 October 2007 -- Yesterday,
Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, Mr George N. Anastassopoulos,
President of the General Conference, and Mr Zhang Xinsheng, Chairman of the
Executive Board, welcomed H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, to UNESCO. The
King paid a visit to UNESCO on the occasion of the opening of the exhibition of
the 34th session of the General Conference entitled “Planet Earth: From Space
to Place.”
In
his address at the plenary, H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf pleaded in favour of a sound
environment as the first and foremost condition for the sound development of our
world community. “The necessity to break the link between economic growth and
the negative impact on the environment is the challenge we are facing today,”
he said. “I believe that it is possible that growth can be made sustainable.
[…] Action today is important for growth tomorrow and it is necessary for the
sake of future generations and continued life on this planet.”
In
closing, the King highlighted UNESCO’s role in helping to spread knowledge of
the status of the environment and in providing assistance in developing
educational programmes.
After
his address at the plenary, H. M. Carl XVI Gustaf attended the opening ceremony
of the General Conference exhibition dedicated to Planet Earth in anticipation
of the United Nations International Year of Planet Earth to be celebrated in
2008.
In
his opening remarks at the exhibit, the Director-General extended a special
welcome to H.M. Carl XVI Gustaf making a special reference to the King’s
strong call for action in support of the environment made in his intervention at
the plenary.
Explaining
that the aim of the International Year of Planet Earth is to demonstrate the
great potential of the Earth sciences to lay the foundations for a safer,
healthier, and more sustainable society, Mr Matsuura said the exhibition
presented Planet Earth from the unique perspective of UNESCO’s
interdisciplinary work in the sciences, education, culture and
communication.
“Never
before in living memory has Planet Earth been subjected to such rapid and
profound change both in terms of the physical environment and of social
transformations. This is particularly the case considering global climate
change,” Mr Matsuura continued. In this context, he mentioned that the aim of
the Intersectoral Task Force on Climate Change he had convened was to examine
how UNESCO, through its existing programmes, can address the multidisciplinary
challenges climate change presents.
During
their meeting earlier in the day, the King of Sweden, the Director-General, the
President of the General Conference and the Chairman of the Executive Board
agreed on the urgent need for action on global climate change. The award of the
2007 Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change have provided new momentum, on which the international community must
build. All affirmed that UNESCO had an important role to play in this regard, as
had been demonstrated at the thematic debate on “Facing the multidisciplinary
challenges of knowledge societies and global climate change: UNESCO’s
contributions to United Nations reform at the regional and country levels” at
the recent session of the Executive Board.
Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
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others.
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