Foreign Ministry to Support "Let's Do It" Initiative at Rio+20 Conference

11.05.2012

The Foreign Ministry supports the idea of introducing the experiences of the "Let's Do It!" trash cleanup campaign and utilising the cleanup model all over the world, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said at a meeting in Tallinn today with "Let's Do It!" representatives.

"We also support the idea of organising a 'Let's Do It!' side event during the UN Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development being held in June of this year in Brazil, and we are prepared to help carry it out," Paet said.

Paet stated that the trash cleanup campaign is a significant example of a civic initiative and of a little step in establishing the idea of sustainable development. "The environment of Estonia has benefited a lot from the 'Let's Do It!' initiative, and this could set a practical example for many other countries."

Paet asserted that the high-level Rio+20 conference, which will have thousands of attendees, would be the perfect place to introduce the "Let's Do It!" cleanup campaign. "The goal of the Rio+20 meeting is a safer, cleaner, greener, and more equal world," he said. "At the UN Earth Summit Conference on Environment and Development that took place in Rio de Janeiro 20 years ago, a plan was adopted to promote economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection. Now it is time to agree on new measures for reducing poverty and using clean energy and sustainable resources."

A "Let's Do It!" event will take place in Rio de Janeiro on 19 June. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet will participate in the event, as will Honorary Consul in Rio de Janeiro Oskar Metsavaht. Helping to organise the event are the Estonian Representation to the UN in New York and Honorary Consul Oskar Metsavaht.

The Rio+20 conference will mark 20 years since the UN Conference on Environment and Development that took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and 10 years since the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.

More information about the world cleanup initiative: http://letsdoitworld.org/    
 
Rio+20 conference: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/about.html

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