Honourable Ministers
Mary Robinson
Chief Executive Officers
United Nations representatives
Distinguished guests
Government representatives
Representatives for Non-Governmental Organisations;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Good Morning
I am delighted to have been part of the great milestones of the Global Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment (NWMLE) from Helsinki, Finland in 2002 until 2012 here in Doha, Qatar.
As Women Ministers and Leaders for Environment and all other organisations we have achieved gender mainstreaming, representation and involvement of women in all governance structures, policy development, decision making in environmental management.
Colleagues allow me to reiterate the fact that we have hosted and attended so many international meetings, developed many policies and strategies, established many governance structures, but we still have to do more in the implementation of programmes and projects benefiting ordinary women on the ground, and sharing information with them and get their views.
I would also like to accentuate the importance of reporting on our country initiatives particularly the grassroots initiatives or projects led by women, that will be evidence of our achievement as the Global Network and the impact we have made.
Minister of Environment from Sweden, Ms Lenah Ek and Deputy Minister Mabudafhasi at the Network of Women Ministers and Leaders for the Environment in Doha, Qatar.
During COP 17 we had an initiative of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs in conjunction with our Environmental Education Wing, Indalo Yethu and other partners prior to COP 17, which was the implementation of the Climate Train, which became an eye opener of how much more we need to implement not only government policies but the knowledge and experiences of the women out there.
We had a Climate Train that travelled through 16 villages, towns and cities as a platform to facilitate a national conversation about climate change with people on the ground including women on the impact of climate change and to give them an opportunity to share their knowledge experiences about the impact of climate change. A climate train report was developed and published which reflected on their experiences, responses, expectation and aspirations.
The purpose of our meeting here today is to finalise the framework of performance of the network, looking at achievements of the network, challenges faced by the network, programme of action to address the challenges, the structure of the network both current and proposed, and how can the network be institutionalised into United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) structures.
Subsequently this meeting is expected to reflect on the performance of the network, adopt a governance structure and programme of action and to adopt a declaration on gender and climate change to be presented during COP 18. It is our hope that the agreements we make here today will be advocated during COP 18 to ensure they form part of its outcomes.
In conclusion, I would also like to thank the outgoing Co-Chair Minister Sandra Denisse Herrera Flores from Mexico for the sterling work and commitment to the Network. It is a great pleasure to announce the incoming Co-Chair Minister Lena Ek from Sweden.
Minister we welcome you to this Network, we are open for your new thinking and contribution that will improve and strengthen the performance and impact of the Network.
I thank you.
