St Helena : Dr. Essex Attends Conferences in Paris and Greenland
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 04.10.2006 (Article Archived on 18.10.2006)
The Chief Development Officer, Dr Corinda Essex, has attended conferences in Paris and Greenland on behalf of St Helena.
Pnoto (c) St. Helena Media: Dr Essex presents in Nuuk
The Chief Development Officer, Dr Corinda Essex, has attended conferences in Paris and Greenland on behalf of St Helena.
Dr Corrinda Essex in Nuuk
Dr Essex departed the Island on 14 August 2006 and attended the fifth European Union Overseas Countries and Territories Forum (EU-OCT) from 5 to 7 September in Nuuk, Greenland. More than 100 participants were in attendance and every Overseas Country and Territory of the EU, together with their host Member State, was represented. The Delegation representing St Helena and Dependencies comprised Dr Essex, Territorial Authorising Officer for EU matters, together with Kedell Worboys, the St Helena Government UK Representative, and Councillor Geoff Jones from Ascension Island.
A number of key issues were discussed at the Forum. These included environment, climate change, prevention and management of natural disasters; the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) territorial and regional programmes and projects; trade and regional integration; financial services; the outcome of the 2006 Overseas Countries and Territories Ministerial Conference; and the future EU-OCT relationship and broad orientations for programming of the 10th EDF.
It is vitally important that St Helena is represented at the annual EU/OCT Forum, as all Overseas Territories send delegates to make as strong a case as possible for their own needs. Consequently, if St Helena has no one to speak on its behalf there is a great risk that its requirements will be overlooked. Even the EU’s financial resources are limited and the demands made by the OCTs are greater than the money available so, if St Helena is to benefit, delegates have to convince EU officials that the Island and its dependencies need aid and that this should be given a high level of priority.
St Helena is extremely grateful to the EU for providing funds to allow the St Helena delegation to attend the forum.
Following the EU-OCT, Dr Essex attended a conference which was co-organised by the IUCN-World Conservation Union and the European Commission with support from some EU member states; Belgium, Finland, France and Sweden. The conference was entitled “Biodiversity in European Development Cooperation” and it took place at the International Conference Centre (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in Paris, France from 19 to 21 September. Timing for the Paris conference was ideal, as Dr Essex would have been in UK in transit.
The World Conservation Union is the world’s largest and most important conservation network. It brings together 82 States, 111 government agencies, more than 800 non-governmental organisations and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. The Union’s mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.
The aim of the conference was to offer cutting-edge debate on the dual challenge of poverty reduction and biodiversity conservation. It is felt that most people, and in particular the rural poor, depend on the food, water, fuel and shelter that are provided by nature. Threats to the biological diversity that delivers these goods and services can thus have direct impacts on their livelihoods. It is therefore felt that conservation can help to improve these people’s existence.
The conference called on the expertise of various speakers and there were also a number of workshops.
Dr Essex said: “there was a strong lobby for more assistance – both in cash and kind – being given to Overseas Countries and Territories. I participated fully in all the discussions and received much support for my interventions from other delegates.” Dr Essex also said that the conference was very positive and enjoyable.
Lucy Caesar, Curator of the Museum also attended the conference to represent the St Helena National Trust.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
4 October 2006
|
