Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad represented Egypt at the virtual meeting to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on 22 May. Fouad joined high level officials from the United Nations (UN) and member states at the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The meeting addressed current opportunities for the international community to conserve biological diversity amid the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
During her speech, Fouad renewed the call to combat climate change and other forms of negative environmental change, whilst also conserving resources and energy sources.
The minister added that human habits will have to change for the environment to be preserved and to save the planet. She noted that upcoming August discussions will focus on the link between the environment and the current global health crisis. Fouad underscored three messages during the meeting.
“The first message is that we have an opportunity, as officials before the world and in front of future generations, to prepare an ambitious and applicable action plan for global biodiversity for the year 2020,” she said, adding, “The working group has already started its negotiation to reach a balanced work plan with regard to biodiversity.”
Fouad noted that some environmental goals that have already been set may be difficult to achieve. In this case, it is better to put in place implementation mechanisms to pave the way for the goals to be achieved in the future.
Fouad’s second message noted that biodiversity and our financial resources remain insufficient to maintain the ecosystem.
“We must put biodiversity, climate change and desertification together, and link them, to finally reach a better plan of action to preserve the environment,” she said.
In her third message, Fouad added that it is necessary to involve various sectors in Egypt in to ensure biodiversity is protected.
