Fri, 27 May 2016
PRESS RELEASE
Jakarta, MoEF Public Relations, Fri, May 27, 2016. Minister of Environment and Forestry of RI Siti Nurbaya conveyed to the international environmental community Indonesia’s current efforts to combat rubbish. “We are continually encouraging public participation, including through our Movement Against Trash by 2020 under the theme ‘Less Plastic More (Fun)tastic’,” said Minister Siti, whose words were met with thunderous applause by delegates of the UNEA-2 in Nairobi.
The delegates were convened to discuss the issue of Ocean Wastes held by the Norwegian government on Thursday, May 26, 2016. Indonesia’s theme attracted much attention and was quoted and re-quoted by facilitators dan panelists alike in the subsequent discussions.
The second session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) is currently convening in Nairobi, Kenya, through May 27, 2016, under the overarching theme “Delivering on the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Deelopment”. The Assembly, which represents the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, will culminate in resolutions and a global call to action to address the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. The convention was opened by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and has an attendance of 1,000 participants, including 120 ministers.
Minister Siti Nurbaya conveyed her statement during the joint opening of the session together with the Norwegian Minister of Environment and the Chilean Ambassador in Nairobi. The ensuing panel discussion presented six panelists from government, academia, business and the UN.
Minister Siti said that Indonesia is very concerned about Ocean Wastes, but faces the challenges of an archipelagic nation with more than 17,000 islands and a population of 250 million, who obviously produce an inordinate amount of rubbish which goes into the river systems and eventually enters the oceans. The Indonesian government has targetted a 20 percent reduction of rubbish and management of 70 percent of the rubbish in 380 towns and cities within the next five years.
The Indonesian initiative comes under the Anti Trash Movement, and is undergoing such activities as the pay-for-your-plastic-bags initiative initiated on February 21 this year. Other programs include one titled “Producers’ Responsibility”, the Adipura Award, the Clean Up the Beaches and National Parks movement, and others. Minister Siti Nurbaya conveyed her high appreciation towards the involvement of the public and CSOs in the struggle to clean up our oceans, including their active participation in informing the minister directly about issues using social media channels.
Meanwhile, the Norwegian government holds the same concerns about Ocean Wastes, impelling it to forward a draft UNEP resolution on “Ocean Wastes and Micro Plastics” which is supported by Indonesia and Chile, with the possibility of being ratified by UNEA-2. The Norwegian government has given UNEP a fund of USD 1 million to continue campaigns and research related to management of ocean wastes.
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