IUCN Director General on a mission to the Levant Countries in West Asia
In a step towards lifting the local and regional conservation priorities to the international level, the Director General of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Ms Julia Marton-Lefevre is undertaking a mission to the West Asia region, specifically to the Levant countries; Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. During this mission the Director General will meet with government officials in each country to discuss means of cooperation and national environmental priorities of each country. The meetings will demonstrate IUCN’s role in providing a rich platform for all stakeholders to come up with logical solutions for the hot environmental issues in the region.
Photo: IUCN
On the other hand, the Director General will meet with IUCN membership organizations in each country to strengthen the role of IUCN in providing the platform and value to all the members in the region.
Key Messages:
Syria:
• IUCN is keen to activate the IUCN National Committee in Syria.
• The State membership has a key role to voice the national priorities to the global arena.
• The IUCN project in Syria (Bald Ibis in Palmeyra) is critical to demonstrate IUCN’s role in species conservation.
Lebanon:
• IUCN is focusing on linking human and environmental security.
• IUCN supported the Ministry of Envrionemnt in Lebanon in the Oil Spill Crisis in 2006.
• IUCN supported the Ministry of Envrionemnt in Lebanon to build the capacity of judges to reform and amend environmental law.
• The State Membership of Lebanon will be important to the global environmental movement.
Jordan:
• IUCN needs new change agents from partners, IUCN members and commissions to contribute to the transition to sustainability and in new learning for leadership in sustainability.
• Jordan is a pioneer in leading environmental initiatives and offers good examples in sustainability.
• IUCN is pleased with the support from the Government of Jordan.
Palestine:
• Introduce IUCN to partners and donors in Palestine.
• Support IUCN project office’s strategy as part of human-environmental security.
• IUCN is in the process of developing a Palestine Programme Strategy Document to enable it to move forward from a Project to a Programme office.
• Potential response on Gaza crisis, in accordance to IUCN programmes, and through its members.
• Explore ideas on Palestine membership.
Where:
• March 24, 2009, Beirut and Shouf Cedar Reserve – Lebanon
• March 25-26, 2009, Damascus and Palmyra – Syria
• March 26 (night) and 30-31, 2009, Amman, Zarqa River, King Talal Dam, Jerash – Jordan
• March 27 (evening) – 29, 2009, Jenin and Ramallah – Palestine
Spokespersons:
• Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Director General of IUCN
• Dr Odeh Al Jayyousi, Regional Director, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA)
Media team:
Rania Faouri, Communications Officer, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia
Mobile +962 777888522, e-mail rania.faouri@iucn.org Website: www.iucn.org/westasia
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