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;DEPARTMENT
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SFA-AGR-064-07 07 February 2007
un
environment body awards former denr chief
7
February 2007 —
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has chosen Former Environment
and Natural Resources Secretary Elisea G. Gozun as one of the seven recipients
of the 2007 Champions of the Earth Award, an annual recognition initiated by the
UNEP for outstanding environmental leaders and achievers.
Former
Secretary Gozun, who is the Asia Pacific recipient of this year’s award, was
cited by UNEP for her “commitment to public service and her passion for the
government” that has “given
her the energy to overcome obstacles, persuade disbelievers and shape
alliances.”
In
its press statement, the UNEP said that Mrs. Gozun’s “leadership in World
Bank projects resulted in tangible results such as the introduction of pollution
charges for industrial effluents in the Philippines, the establishment of the
ECOWATCH programme – and innovative public disclosure program of environmental
performance of priority industries – and the ‘Brown Fund,’ the first
tripartite funding source for local urban environmental initiatives, jointly
managed by NGOs, business and government.”
The
UNEP added, “Mrs. Gozun has pushed for the introduction of community-based
waste recovery, recycling and reuse in the Philippines and has also worked for
the establishment of materials recovery facilities and on upgrading the quality
and capacity of landfills for the residual wastes” resulting in “a wide
network of participating communities, with dramatically improved health
situations due to better solid waste management.
“Her
personal integrity, combined with a keen pragmatic sense for what is politically
feasible to constitute a viable solution, have won her the trust of business
leaders, NGOs, and political decision-makers alike,” the UNEP stated.
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