Welcoming Message

“Philoxenia” (hospitality) is an ancient Greek word that expresses the great respect and honor bestowed from host to guest. Philoxenia is about much more than a warm welcome; it is a complex moral code with deep roots. As hosts in our common “Oikos” (home), our Planet, we should all extend our hospitality to the whole of humanity, to current and future generations.

On October 5-7, 2022, the citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and I personally will have the opportunity to host you in Cyprus and discuss and examine ways to honor our Planet by reflecting and rethinking our practices, policies and behavior, and to commit to ACTION NOW.

Dear friends from all over the world, the 9th UNECE Ministerial Conference on the Environment for Europe is an opportunity for all of us to make important decisions deriving from our responsibility and obligation to respect the Planet and to be humble companions of every living being. Our solidarity and the principles of justice, equality and equity start from the environment.

Social prosperity and the formation of a more sustainable world require citizens with emotional, social, environmental and cultural intelligence and policies that will contribute to the transformation of societies towards green transition and sustainability. The current decade is a critical decade in terms of our relationship with the environment, and of deciding the quality of life we ​​want to live. Therefore, the policies that will be discussed and adopted during the Conference in the three main topics of Education for Sustainable Development, Sustainable Tourism, Circular Economy/Sustainable Infrastructure, in addition to the exchange of good practices, beyond the commitment and mutual communication for a common purpose, can be the springboard for changes for TRANSFORMING THE PLANET.

As a host of the 9^th UNECE Ministerial Conference, I am looking forward to welcoming you in our region, the Mediterranean, and in our land, Cyprus. We commit that we will act individually and collectively in defense of our Planet in order to deliver it more just, resilient and healthy to future generations. And pledge to integrate policies according to the principles, ideas and values of sustainability.