JEDDAH, 25 May 2008 — Prince Turki ibn Nasser, president of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME), launched the official website for the First Arab Conference and Expedition for Environmental Laws in Jeddah yesterday.
In his remarks on the occasion, Prince Turki called for environmental policing to enforce regulations to protect the environment.
The upcoming conference, scheduled for July under the support of Crown Prince Sultan, is organized by the PME in cooperation with the League of Arab States and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
The conference, which has as its theme “Environmental Laws: A World Commitment to Protect Our Environment and Future Generations,” will be held at the King Faisal Conference Hall in Riyadh.
Prominent experts in the fields of environment, law, government and the private sector, as well as regional and international organizations, are expected to take part in discussions in an attempt to analyze the state of the environment in the Arab world.
The discussions aim to focus on the weakness or absence of environmental protection laws in the region in order to reinforce, develop and implement the laws.
Prince Turki said that this could be done by forcing sanctions on violators and expanding corporation between statutory and executive bodies within Arab states. Environmental policies must be implemented and there must be a mechanism, such as environmental policing, to do so.
Prince Turki said that the conference would focus on environmental issues in the region in addition to encouraging countries that have not signed international environmental and natural resources protection agreements to do so.
“We aim to close the existing gap,” he said, adding that in addition environmental protection laws must be developed in coordination with international organizations.
Prince Turki praised the conference, referring to it as unique international cooperation to protect human health and the environment in order to achieve sustainable development for future generations.
The conference will focus on international environmental laws and the part they play in sustainable development, he added.
The conference will review environmental protection laws currently in force in various Arab countries and discuss ways to develop them in order to achieve conformity with global requirements and international agreements and conventions, the prince said.
The conference also aims to highlight the positive roles of environmental protection laws and regulations in a country’s economic activities and sustainable development. Participants will discuss both positive and negative experiences in Arab countries.
A workshop will be held on the sidelines of the conference as also an exhibition featuring the latest available environmental technology.
