ABU DHABI, 6 April, 05 (WAM) - A one-day Ministerial Conference onEnvironment, Culture and Tourism to be attended by over 30 ministerswill explore means of "Integrating Efforts Towards Sustainable Developmentof Desert Regions". The conference will take place alongside the SecondFestival of the Cultures and Civilizations of World Deserts (16 - 22April, 2005) at the Dubai Police Officer's Club.
Organisers World Deserts Foundation, Zayed International Prize for theEnvironment, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and DubaiPolice announced that the event would be opened by H.H. General SheikhMohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai - UAE Ministerof Defence and Chairman of the DTCM, according to a press release.
"The primary objective of the conference is to come up with a DubaiCharter for Sustainable Development in Desert Regions," said Chairmanof the Higher Organising Committee of Zayed Prize, and Vice Presidentof the World Deserts Foundation, Dr. Mohammed bin Fahad.
"We hope through the staging of this conference, to shed some lighton the interaction between tourism, culture and environment and developand approve mechanisms and recommendations leading to environmental sustainability,"bin Fahad remarked.
The conference program has been designed to help identify constraintsand challenges of sustainable development in desert regions and comeup with practical solutions.
Dr. Meshgan Mohammed Al Awar, Secretary General of Zayed Prize and Headof the Scientific Committee of the Desert Festival added, "The conferencewill review present and future local, regional and international strategiesand action plans of development in desert regions to stress the vitalityof integration and coordination between government, private sector andcivil society and we hope to be able to come up with policy recommendationsand create a balance between economic, social and environmental dimensionsof development ." Prominent among the topics that will be discussed duringthe conference include: global, regional and national strategies, policiesand prospects of development and desertification control in desert regions,legislative and institutional aspects of integrating efforts in the fieldsof culture, tourism and environment towards sustainable development indesert regions, program of the "Year of Deserts and Desertification Control"in 2006 and the commitment of countries, as well as a panel discussionon the Dubai Charter for Sustainable Development in Desert Regions toproduce a final draft.
The Dubai Charter for Sustainable Development in Desert Regions willbe eventually presented to the United Nations and other Internationaland Regional Organizations for adoption and integration into conventionsand agreements to implement sustainable development in desert regions.
The President of the World Deserts Foundation, Abdelaziz Bouteflikaand the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment ProgramExecutive Director, Klaus Toepfer will address the opening ceremony.
