(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The key to strong environmental protection is effective implementation of related laws and commitments, a senior US official has said.
Dr Daniel Reifsnyder, US?deputy assistant secretary of state for environment was addressing a gathering at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA) on Thursday as part of discussions on implementing the environment chapter of the US-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on environmental cooperation.
The US delegation, led by Dr Reifsnyder, included officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative, US Forest Service, US Department of Justice and the US Department of the Interior.
Dr Reifsnyder said that June 5 as World Environment Day is a great opportunity to create awareness on environment, and an occasion to celebrate the ongoing US-Omani environmental cooperation.
''The US-Oman Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect on January 1, 2009, includes a chapter on environment. We observe the commitments outlined in the Environment Chapter and ensure that environmental laws and policies encourage high levels of environmental protection.Today, both US and Oman will describe what we do to implement the Environment Chapter of the US-Oman Free Trade Agreement,'' he said.
Dr Reifsnyder said that public participation in environmental matters has always been a key aspect of trade agreements. ''We need your inputs, recommendations and commitments to work for a clean and healthy environment. This session provides an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the progress our governments are making towards implementing our trade-related environmental commitments.''
Attendees also discussed the third meeting of the Joint Forum on Environmental Cooperation that the governments of the US and Oman held recently. These meetings mark the start of the next three-year plan for the two countries' trade-related environmental cooperation.
Progress following 2006 MoU
Oman and the US signed an MoU on environmental cooperation in 2006. Since then, progress has been made in the following areas:
Bringing over 3mn ha in Oman under improved natural resource management.
Improving disaster management and response systems, so that Oman can better respond to oil spills, cyclones, and other environmental disasters.
Strengthen the enforcement of environmental laws through training of 147 Omani wildlife and natural resource managers, and
Educate women in all governorates of Oman about the importance of environmental management, including generating better health outcomes.<
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