ISLAMABAD, Jun 04 (APP):The United Nations Ecosystem Restoration Decade a ten years massive conservation endeavour from 2021 through 2030 was launched on Friday evening with global and religious leaders unanimously calling for unified effort to preserve demising ecology.
The UN Ecosystem Restoration Decade Gala was live streamed at all social sites and portals with viewers and experts participating in the event from around the globe.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan participated in the official launch of the UN Decade of Restoration flanked by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel; Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley; Chairperson of the African Union and President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi.
Moreover, messages of religious leaders of Christian and Islamic faiths by His Holiness Pope Francis; address by His Eminence Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar; UN Secretary-General António Guterres; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen; FAO Director General Dr. QU Dongyu also addressed the session.
The virtual gala was moderated by international TV journalist and correspondent Saima Mohsin who shed light on the theme, vision and scope of UN Decade of Conservation.
Speaking on the occasion, UNSG Antonio Guterres called this decade imperative for action to preserve ecosystems, adding, “We are ravaging the very ecosystems due to which 3.2 billion or 40 percent of humanity is under risk due to ecosystem degradation. We need to plant trees, clean our rivers, and promote nature based solutions for sustainable nature conservation.”
He added that the UN decade on restoration was a global call where everyone could contribute in Generation Restoration. “Lets start a new decade where we can secure our future from ecosystem degradation and climate change,” he said.
Executive Director UNEP Inger Anderson in her address said, “We have one decade to address climate change, protect biodiversity loss and achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).”
She insisted that the governments should ensure Covid-19 stimulus packages help restore businesses and employment along with nature conservation.
Director General Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Dr QU Dongyu said Ecosystems are our life lines for the earth we live and breathe where the wellbeing of 40 percent of global population was under risk due to biodiversity loss.
Pope Francis in his message said this decade invites us to our commitment aimed to prevent and reverse degradation of ecosystems worldwide and raise awareness on ecosystem restoration.
“We are all part of this gift of creation. This is what the Bible tells us. If we will not preserve the nature that we are living on then it will have serious consequence leading to hunger and this is what science is telling us,” he said.
Pope Francis warned that we have little time left and scientists tell that the next ten years tells to restore our relationship with nature. It all pushed us to take urgent action towards preserving nature. “May we take our place as generation restoration,” he prayed.
Grand Imam Al Azhar Mosque Ahmed el-Tayeb said the truth is the relationship of man with nature as Earth was a second mother for human beings. He highlighted the teachings of Holy Quran that do not corrupt the earth after its restored and nature in all its elements was owned by God.
Uprooting or burning of plants is forbidden whereas killing of natural species of animals, birds and insects like bees was forbidden if not necessary. He called the humanity to pay heed towards rediscovering their link with nature and play their as a sacred and shared responsibility to protect nature for coming generations.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in his address highlighted completion of first billion trees target under his flagship Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Plantation project. He also mentioned the protected area initiative aimed to increase national parks with the idea to restore wildlife and green cover.
“We are also enhancing mangroves and also want to restore our wetlands through flood water conservation. We want to give jobs to women and youth in plantation as around 80,000 jobs have been created during Covid,” he said.
Prime Minister Imran Khan concluded that we needed to protect our ecosystems as environmental degradation had to be stopped to save the planet for coming generations.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her address said it’s an important and symbolic moment to launch UN decade on restoration.
“We have to do it now and need to ensure that hydrological cycles function at sweeping pace… We have to restore and connect wildlife species and biodiversity habitats. Germany therefore supports UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” she said.
She was pleased to mention that Germany was the first country to donate 14 million Euros to the Trust Fund for the Decade.
The German Chancellor also lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan for his ambitious plantation initiative and termed it a significant contribution towards national and global environmental protection. She also thanked the Prime Minister for hosting this World Environment Day.
She noted that there were genuine global partnerships required for ecosystem restoration and therefore, Germany supported UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, works of the UNEP and FAO.
The virtual gala included musical performance by Rocky Dawuni – international music star, producer and activist and ended with the world premiere of a new love-song for Mother Earth by world-famous DJ Don Diablo and international Hip hop-star Ty Dolla Sign.
