Media representatives from the Arab region gathered in Amman for a two-day seminar on building capacity and promoting awareness of sustainable development issues.
The WSSD Regional Media Seminar was under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, champion of sustainable development in the Arab region, Dr. Abdul Razzaq Tbeishat, Minister of Municipal, Rural Affairs and Environment and Mr. Ove Bjerregaard, United nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, a.i. and was organized by UNDP, the government of Jordan and Capacity 21.
The participants discussed key issues pertaining to sustainable development challenges, with a view to making a tangible contribution to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), to be held between August 26th and September 7th in Johannesburg.
The South Africa summit is expected to be the largest international meeting on the integration of economic, environmental and social decision making. It will call upon states to implement the comprehensive plan for sustainable development of Agenda 21, a resolution adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio ten years ago.
Each country is expected to present in Johannesburg a national plan on its achievements in sustainable development over the past 10 years.
Jordan submitted its national report to the secretariat general of the World Summit for Sustainable Development in December 2001.
Media representatives in the seminar are to come up with a plan for action to be submitted in Johannesburg in addition to identify the obstacles facing the media in promoting sustainable development.