Speaking yesterday March 10, during the committee meeting in the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection, the Minister, Pierre Hele, who doubles as the committee chairman, said the effective take off of the programme will bridge the information gap on education and build the people’s capacity on environmental protection for sustainable development. The meeting, he added, was to update the information sheet of the programme, deliberate on the draft terms of reference as well as jointly come up with the way forward. The programme, he stressed, offers an opportunity for efficient education for a participatory management of the environment.
Like the Minister, the programme’s National Focal Point, Jean Celestine Tchouen, said sustainable development seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations. He added that it is a vision of development that encompasses people, animal and plant species, ecosystems, natural resources and that integrates concerns like the poverty alleviation, gender equality, human rights, education for all, health, human security, intercultural dialogue, among others. Participants drawn from sister ministries and international non-governmental organisations involved in environmental issues were unanimous that the programme helps people to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge to make informed decisions for their benefit and others, now and in the future, and to act upon these decisions. Mr Hele enjoined the committee members and all those involved in the programme to strive for efficiency so as to hit the target before the 2014 deadline.
