CAIRO, Dec 6 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has made much headway in the implementation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's directives for applying the sustainable development concept in economic and social activities.
This was said by Mohamed Apel, director of the Environment Public Authority's International Relations, in remarks to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of the 19th meeting of the Council of Arab Ministers of Environment.
He hailed the execution of HH the Amir's sustainable development concept over the last three months.
The concept, which is principally based on environmental protection, has now become an orientation on all decision-making levels in the State of Kuwait, including initial project plans and execution, he said.
This concept necessarily requires dealing with environmental, economic and social dimensions as core components in development projects, especially in light of economic buoyancy in the Gulf region, Apel added.
He pointed to the allocation of a sustainable development section at the Environment Public Authority, which is in charge of organization, coordination and following-up with agencies concerned regarding the application of the sustainable development concept, as well as the following-up of UN, Arab League and GCC resolutions and recommendations in this vital area.
As to Kuwait's environmental protection efforts, he said Kuwait would set up a new center for scientific research in the environmental domain in line with Stockholm Convention for organic pollutants.
It will be a regional center for building capabilities and transferring modern technology to Asian and Pacific countries, he added.
The Arab minister of environment wrapped up their 19th meeting on Wednesday by adopting a declaration on climate change, which will be presented to the ongoing climate change conference in the Indonesian Bali Island.
By Khalid al-Zeid
