Leading the way to save the planet

As it hosts the largest ever gathering of environment officials from around the planet, the UAE today shows real leadership in the most vital issue of all saving the planet.

In line with its long-held position in encouraging schemes to preserve global environment, the country today is seizing the opportunity of this meeting to push for investment in eco-system services and seriously addressing the issue of chemical waste management.

These initiatives show the rest of the world how an oil producing state can be a leader in initiatives that are aimed at preserving the planet for our next generations.

Nearly 130 officials and close to 160 countries are taking part in the 9th Special Session for the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum 2006, which started last night.

Held for the first time in the Arab world under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the forum highlights the UAE's strong commitment to invest in environment preservation for the sake of a peaceful world.

The environment policy is the peace policy of the future, according to Klaus Toepfer, executive director of the UNEP.

He says that it is crucial to create a culture of cooperation and mutual respect between north and south, rich and poor if we want to avoid ever-growing tensions in a world where water and other vital resources can no longer be taken for granted.

And that is exactly what the UAE has been lobbying for years. Its Zayed International Prize for Environment, worth $1 million, which has been won this year by Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of United Nations, is the most generous in the world.

It is meant to encourage creative thinking and innovations to handle the burning issues of global warming, waste management, chemical hazards and of course the dwindling resources.