5th June 2009 Riviera Maya to Host WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

MINISTRY OF TOURISM OF THE STATE OF QUINTANA ROO
PUBLIC RELEASE Cozumel, Quintana Roo. May 25th, 2009
THE MEXICAN CARIBBEAN CHOSEN AS HOST FOR WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/
The natural settings of Cozumel and the Riviera Maya will be the proud hosts of World Environment Day next June 5th.
Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources, announced during a press conference that the State of Quintana Roo is ready to stage the event.
Xcaret will be one of the venues to welcome this international meeting which will be transmitted via satellite to more than 180 countries worldwide.
One of the aims of this celebration is to make an appeal to the inhabitants of the earth to become aware of the effects of climate change.
This event will take place on the 4th and 5th of June on the island of Cozumel and in Xcaret, in Quintana Roo, where experts on environmental affairs, business leaders, academics, governors and personalities from the United Nations will come together to make agreements that will be presented at the Summit in Copenhagen.
Among the guests are the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger;
the governor of Quintana Roo, Félix González Canto;
The Executive Director of the PNUMA, Achim Steiner; the President and Executive Director of the World Wildlife Fund, Carter Roberts;
Renown businessman Carlos Slim Helú, and the President of the Business Coordinating Council, ArmandoParedes.
On the 5th of June the official commemoration will be held for World Environment Day, headed by President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, where prizes will be awarded to the winners of the following competitions: Fans of the Planet, Environmental Champions,
Let’s Perform a Miracle for the Air, and the Children’s Drawing Competition.
The Federal Secretary for the Environment pointed out that with this event, Mexico is reasserting its environmental leadership to the world and giving a clear sign that the nation is back on its feet after having overcome the health emergency.