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By Baboloki Semele
President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi has pleaded with the global community to incentivize conservation success instead of being punitive.
Dr. Masisi said this yesterday as he addressed delegates at the two-day commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Environment Programe held in the global hub for the environment, Nairobi, Kenya.
He said nations that have succeeded in conservation, especially of critical global goods such as red-listed species, should be supported and not punished for their success stories through stringent global regulatory measures that can deter sustainable utilisation and trade in wildlife resources among others.
He says his country, Botswana, has and will continue to pursue policies that ensure environmental conservation.
He said due to the government’s commitment to sustainable development, the country has made significant achievements in environmental management including updating and enacting legislative and policy instruments to address evolving environmental challenges.
President Masisi told his audience that the developments are pursued in line with the National Transformation Agenda aimed at transforming Botswana’s socioeconomic and environmental status.
The President further said Botswana continues to ensure its abundant wildlife resources are protected and utilised sustainably with 40 percent of its territory under protection status.
For her part, UNEP executive director, Ms. Inger Andersen said the institution has travelled a long journey since its establishment in 1972.
She says many milestones had been achieved in combating environmental challenges and climate change. Ms. Andersen urged the global community to continue working on mitigating climate change, desertification, and other environmental concerns.
In his address, the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta noted that since its establishment via the Stockholm Conference in 1972, progressively over the 50-year period, UNEP has led the world to understand the centrality of the environment in human existence; to appreciate the increased threats to the environment and also the existential threat that exists to the planet. T
hey have also helped us galvanize collective global action to protect the environment. He says since then, through a series of Protocols such as the 1987 Montreal Protocol for limiting emissions of gases; Conferences, such as the Earth Summit in 1992; as well as through systematic Scientific Research, UNEP has transformed into a formidable ‘ecological conscience’ for the world as it boldly championed the environment agenda. He urged all stakeholders to enhance, mobilize and prioritize support for UNEP.
The commemoration was preceded by the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2) under the theme for UNEA-5 was “Strengthening Actions for Nature to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,”
UNEA 5.2 was an opportunity for the Member States to share best practices for sustainability. It aimed to create momentum for governments to build on and catalyze impact on multilateral environmental efforts to protect and restore the natural world on which our economies and societies depend.