NewsWhore
07-17-2009, 05:40 PM
The United Nations Development Program in the Dominican Republic has chosen former Colombian Environment Minister Juan Mayr Maldonado to lead the international team of experts that will evaluate the concession process by which the Ministry of Environment issued an environmental license to the Dominican Mining Consortium for building a cement factory on the edge of the Los Haitises National Park. The team will also assess the feasibility and advisability of the location of the cement plant on that site.
The team is coming after President Leonel Fernandez, a leading supporter of the cement plant, agreed to seek an independent opinion on the location. Opposition has come from within the Ministry of Environment itself, the Chamber of Deputies Environmental Commission, the Academy of Sciences and leading environmental and civic groups.
Mayr has served as vice president of the International Nature Conservation Union, president of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development and has led several sessions of the UN Convention for Biodiversity. He has ample experience of environmental conflict resolution and has consulted for the UNDP, the UN Environmental Program and the Inter-American Development Bank.
He visited the DR from 13-15 July for meetings with Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal and his team and initial preparations for the UNDP evaluation. They visited the site by air.
During his short stay, the UNDP reports that he compiled information on the case and prepared the schedule for the evaluation that will take place during the first week of August, which will include extensive interviews and the presentation of conclusions and recommendations. Specialists from the UNEP and the Pan-American Health Organization will also take part.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)
The team is coming after President Leonel Fernandez, a leading supporter of the cement plant, agreed to seek an independent opinion on the location. Opposition has come from within the Ministry of Environment itself, the Chamber of Deputies Environmental Commission, the Academy of Sciences and leading environmental and civic groups.
Mayr has served as vice president of the International Nature Conservation Union, president of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development and has led several sessions of the UN Convention for Biodiversity. He has ample experience of environmental conflict resolution and has consulted for the UNDP, the UN Environmental Program and the Inter-American Development Bank.
He visited the DR from 13-15 July for meetings with Environment Minister Jaime David Fernandez Mirabal and his team and initial preparations for the UNDP evaluation. They visited the site by air.
During his short stay, the UNDP reports that he compiled information on the case and prepared the schedule for the evaluation that will take place during the first week of August, which will include extensive interviews and the presentation of conclusions and recommendations. Specialists from the UNEP and the Pan-American Health Organization will also take part.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#11)