Press Release from UNEP

UNEP headquarters hosted the Joint Ministerial Meeting between the Arab States and the Community of South American Nations on environmental Development between the two Regions.

The meeting aims at enhancing cooperation in environmental protection and achieving sustainable development in the Arab Region and in Southern America in the framework of south-south cooperation and on the basis of coordinating environmental work between developing countries.

The meeting was chaired by H.E. Cherif Rahmani, Minister of Environment of Algeria, .Chairman of the 18^th Session of the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for the Environment (CAMRE). The meeting was honored by the presence of H.R.H Prince Turki bin Nasser Bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Executive Bureau of (CAMRE).

Many Ministers in charge of the environment from the Arab States and from the South American Community of Nations participated in the meeting.

H. E. Dr. Achim Steiner, The Executive Director, UNEP headed a wide participation of UNEP staff namely; Dr. Habib El Habre, Director of UNEP/ROWA,  Mr. Rickardo Sanchez, Director of UNEP/ROLAC, H.E. Mr. Sekutori , Director of UNEP/ROA. Mr. Ibrahim Mohi El-Din,  Director of the American affairs represented the League of Arab States.

The meeting adopted a Joint Communiqué, in which the two parties committed themselves to cooperating in environmental protection and in achieving sustainable development. The meeting stressed their commitment to implement the decisions taken by the Arab and South-American Heads of States and Governments in Brasilia, in May 2005, as set out in the Brasilia Declaration.

The two regions expressed their commitment to the principles and objectives stated in the main multilateral documents concerning sustainable development such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and Agenda 21, as well as to the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation

The Arab States and the South American Community of Nations  stressed their shared aim to increase cooperation between the two regions in the field of sustainable development, natural resources conservation and environmental protection, taking into consideration the accumulated knowledge and experience in the two regions, the existing complementarities and the potential for innovation; as well as emphasizing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and the social and economic conditions.

The meeting expressed its appreciation to UNEP for its willingness to provide active support to the environmental cooperation between the Arab States and the South American Countries; taking into account the Bali strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building adopted by the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program in February 2005.

The meeting stressed the need for developed countries to fulfill their commitments regarding the financing of development, capacity building, the transfer of technology and the expansion of market access for exports from developing countries, in such a manner that contributes to the achievement of the sustainable development objectives of developing countries.

The two parties agreed upon the areas of interregional cooperation as well as the means for cooperation between the two regions under this Joint Communiqué.

In order to achieve the objectives of this Communiqué, the two regions declared their willingness to develop a Biennial Executive Program for the implementation of the activities listed in this Joint Communiqué, taking into account financing aspects/need.