Participants of the children’s conference, Children’s Voice for a Better Future, have today presented to President Dr Mohamed Waheed, their concerns for the Maldives’ future, to be presented to world leaders at the upcoming Rio + 20 Summit.
The children’s conference was hosted by the government as part of the Maldives’ preparations for the summit, to provide a platform for children from all parts of the nation to get together and raise their concerns at a national level forum.
At the ceremony held at Bandos Island Resort, the President said that embracing the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act today, was crucial for ensuring a secure future for our children.
In his speech, the President said that it was essential to consider the future generations’ needs, instead of just meeting the needs of today’s population, for a country to develop sustainably.
Noting that a significant amount of the country’s revenue was being spent on fuel, President Waheed said that it was evident even today, that we could not afford for the country’s development to depend only on fuel, in terms of energy sources.
In his speech, the President said that ensuring sustainable national development was not only related to environmental issues, but also to the country’s economic and political affairs being planned and administered in a way that improves the social standards of the country, and multiplies the country’s wealth.
In his speech, the President also noted that the foundation for ensuring sustainable development in the Maldives was to provide quality education to our children that includes sustainable development policies.
