La UNESCO reacciona ante la destrucción de Palawan

14 mar 2011

La directora general de la UNESCO ha reaccionado a la acción conjunta de Salva la Selva junto con la Red Indígena filipina ALDAW. Irina Bokova expresa en una carta su preocupación por la amenazante destrucción de la naturaleza por causa de la minería.

Buenas noticias desde la isla filipina de Palawan: la directora general de la UNESCO ha reaccionado a la acción conjunta de Salva la Selva junto con la Red Indígena filipina ALDAW. En una carta al Ministro de Exteriores y representante de la Comisión Nacional de la UNESCO en Filipinas, Irina Bokova expresa su preocupación por la amenazante destrucción de la naturaleza por la minería.

Más de 16.000 personas han participado de la acción a través de nuestra página web. Toda la provincia de Palawan es Reserva de Biosfera de la UNESCO, y aún así, el gobierno otorgó concesiones mineras incluso en áreas de alto valor de conservación.

El mes pasado, nuestros colegas de ALDAW han mantenido contacto con UNESCO para pedir a la organización que tome medidas concretas. Por eso, el equipo de ALDAW está satisfecho por los reparos expresados por la directora general de la UNESCO y ve este gesto como un buen punto de partida para éxitos posteriores en la campaña en defensa de la población y el medio ambiente de PALAWAN.

Esta es la carta de la UNESCO (en inglés)

UNESCO DG LETTER

The Director-General 18 FEB 2011

Ref.: DG/2.8/11/5864/419

Dear Secretary,

Honorable Dr Alberto G. Romulo
Secretary of Foreign Affairs Chairman of the National Commission of the Philippines for UNESCO G/F 
Department of Foreign Affairs
Bldg. 2330 Roxaz Boulevard Pasay City, Manila Philippines

Over the last few days, I have received over 4000 e-mails from
environmental and indigenous groups voicing concerns over mining
activities in the Palawan Biosphere Reserve, which is located in your
country. As you know, the Palawan Biosphere Reserve was included in
the World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 1990. A sample e-mail is
attached to this letter for your information .

In this context, I wish to invite you kindly to provide a
comprehensive report to UNESCO on the mining situation in the Palawan
Biosphere Reserve, and to inform me on whether current and future
mining activities would have adverse impacts on the core zones of the
biosphere reserve. While mining may occur in buffer and transition
zones of biosphere reserves , it is on the condition that it respects
environmental safeguards and the regulations governing biosphere
reserves, as well as the interests and well-being of local and
indigenous communities.

We would appreciate it if the Philippines authorities could monitor
the situation closely. Ideally, an open meeting with different
stakeholders could be organized so that a constructive dialogue could
be initiated among the various parties concerned, most particularly as
regards environmental conservation, sustainable development and local
and indigenous issues. Should the Philippines authorities so wish, a
UNESCO mission could be fielded to Palawan at an appropriate time to
participate in and contribute to such a process.

I look forward to hearing from you shortly on this issue and take this
opportunity to thank you for your co-operation in implementing
biosphere reserve activities in the Philippines.

Yours sincerely,

Irina Bokowa