Intervention by Dr. Costas Kadis, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment at the Press and Information Office event

on the occasion of the 9th UNECE Ministerial Conference on the Environment for Europe,

The Old Powerhouse Chill Bar, Nicosia, 22 September 2022

Κυρίες και Κύριοι,

Καταρχάς θα ήθελα να σας ευχαριστήσω που παρευρίσκεστε στην αποψινή εκδήλωση. Η ομιλία μου θα συνεχιστεί στην αγγλική γλώσσα, λόγω του ότι  μαζί μας έχουμε και διεθνή μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης για την προβολή της Ένατης Υπουργικής Συνόδου «Περιβάλλον για την Ευρώπη».

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome! 

As we are only a few days away from hosting the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Ninth Ministerial Conference on the Environment for Europe, the focus of the Cyprus government is on carrying out a successful organisation of this pivotal Ministerial Conference for the environment and for sustainable development.

It is a great honour for Cyprus to host this conference which takes place for the first time in the Mediterranean region, with participants from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, Asia and of course Europe. We expect to welcome here in Cyprus more than seventy (70) high-level officials from sixty (60) different delegations. 

The challenges the invited countries are facing are common. Τhis Conference is an opportunity to share experiences and best practises  at an inter-ministerial level for building sustainable solutions in the fields of the environment, circular economy, tourism, infrastructure and education.  Our aim is to fully achieve the goals of the twenty thirty (2030) United Nations’ Agenda.

This Ninth Ministerial Conference will mark thirty (30) years of environmental cooperation in the pan-European region. Discussions during the plenaries of the Conference will provide significant input for two policy documents and the Ministerial Declaration to be adopted by the participants.  These outcomes will provide the supporting framework for formulating   our national strategies.

Greening the economy by investing in sustainable infrastructure is becoming ever more important in this post-pandemic era. During this time, when governments around the world  focus on recovering their economies, it is crucial to ensure that this recovery  follows a sustainable path. Adopting systemic and life-cycle approaches from the early conceptual and strategic planning stages will positively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and minimise potential environmental impact.

The environmental challenges concerning the tourism sector is the second thematic area of the Conference. Tourism’ destination countries like Cyprus face additional environmental challenges, especially in the sector of waste management.  Discussions during the conference will discuss ways to support the tourism industry as a main driver for economic development, while working with various stakeholders to adopt circular tourism models.

Before I conclude, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous work undertaken by the Director of the Division of Environment, the Chief of Section of the Environment Division, the Chair of the Committee of Environmental Policy and all the team from the UNECE for the excellent collaboration. It is also a great honor to have with us colleagues and organisations from other countries, who accepted our invitation to participate at the Conference.

I look forward to welcoming all delegations in October in Cyprus 

Thank you.