Persian Gulf emirates, Arab nations worldwide mark Annual Environment Day; main summit aims to address various Arab environmental concerns
News agencies
Published: 10.26.12
Arab world marks Environment Day
Persian Gulf emirates, Arab nations worldwide mark Annual Environment Day; main summit aims to address various Arab environmental concerns
News agencies
Published: 10.26.12, 14:05 / Israel Environment
The Persian Gulf emirates and various Muslim nations worldwide marked the Arab world’s Annual Environment Day recently, holding various summits meant to address different concerns.
The main summit was hosted by the Sultanate of Oman in its capital of Muscat, under the banner of “Working Together for the Preservation of the Environment.”
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The Arab League’s Council of Arab Ministers for Environmental Affairs decided that the 2012 Arab Environment Day would focus on “the critical need for cooperation between all the sectors of the society to combat pollution,” the Times of Oman reported.
Summit participants renewed their pledge to “Protect and conserve the Arab environment, exchange views and experiences with Arab countries and fulfill the aspirations of the Arab people and their legitimate right for a clean environment capable of supporting sound development plans.”
Summit goers discussed not only environmental concerns, but also the need to increase public awareness and education on environmental and ecological issues, as well as the efforts needed to increase public participation in various preservation efforts.
In Tunis, several civil society and environmental groups marked Arab Environment Day by promoting the “Cleaning Tunisia” initiative, which saw hundreds of volunteers come together and clean up the capital’s streets, many of which had been neglected since the revolution.
The initiative was led by the Union of Tunisian Humanitarian Associations (UAHT), which since the revolution has been able to promote environmental issues, alongside social ones.
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