UN’s ‘Clean Seas’ Campaign to Run in South Aegean

In efforts to safeguard the marine environment, a prerequisite for sustainable development, the South Aegean Region will work with the UN, promoting actions within its Clean Seas Campaign.

“The South Aegean is the largest island region of Europe. It is our obligation to realize that protecting the marine environment is vital for us. It is the source of life for our region,” said Regional Governor George Hatzimarkos, who laid the groundwork for the cooperation last November in Spain, after meeting with Erik Solheim, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

“As one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, the South Aegean islands bear a massive environmental impact. Tapping into the UN’s environmental expertise and adopting its actions is a great opportunity for us to work towards ensuring the sustainability of our islands in the future as well as their further development. We wish to make the most of this chance for the benefit of our residents and visitors,” he concluded.

The Clean Seas Campaign comes under the umbrella of UNEP, a UN agency coordinating environmental activities and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.

Hatzimarkos is set to meet with the Director and Regional Representative of UNEP Habib N. El-Habr, who is the coordinator of the Global Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, for the next series of actions.

UNEP priorities are climate change, environmental threats from disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, harmful chemicals, and the efficiency of resources / sustainable production and consumption.