REPRESENTATIVES from 14 countries on Saturday gathered at the World Health Organization’s headquarters in Manila for the drafting and signing of the Manila Declaration on Health and the Environment.
Crafted at the triennial Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment, the Manila Declaration aims to specify the points of collaboration between environment and health authorities within and among member countries.
The Manila Declaration will also help member states meet the United Nation’s sustainable development goals for health and the environment.
Because “urbanization is inevitable,” WHO regional director of the Office for the Western Pacific Dr. Shin Young-soo said urban areas must also develop to accommodate its growing populace.
“We need a lot of work on infrastructure. I don’t have to say that we all observe and see [the] traffic and congestion in Metro Manila. This is all linked with environment and health,” Shin said.
UN Environment Programme deputy executive director and UN Assistant Secretary-General Ibrahim Thiaw concurred and emphasized the need to build smarter and cleaner cities.