UN thanks Pak for hosting World Environment Day

UNITED NATIONS: The head of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Inger Andersen, has expressed her "huge thanks" to Pakistan for its move to host World Environment Day 2021.

The flagship day, to be celebrated in partnership with UNEP on June 5, will also mark the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. "(Pakistan) will lead the global charge to restore our ecosystems," Ms. Anderson, UNEP's executive director, said in a statement.

The day, aimed at promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment, has grown over the years to be the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. The theme for the Day this year will be ecosystem restoration, with a special focus on creating a good relationship with nature. The Adviser to Prime Minister on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, said it was "great honour" for Pakistan to be selected by UNEP for hosting the day. He said it was another global endorsement of the government's nature-based focus under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran khan.

In New York, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Munir Akram reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering commitment to protect nature and environment. "The COVID-19 Pandemic and the climate catastrophe are stark reminders that we are on an unsustainable path," Ambassador Akram said, stressing that it was high time to upscale investments in a dynamic, equitable and environmentally friendly economy. Pakistan, he added, was devoted to harnessing the potential of green jobs through its multi-sectoral eco-system restoration initiative.