Press Release

MOBILIZATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

QUÉBEC SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF A NEW SECRETARIAT IN MONTRÉAL

Nusa Dua (Bali – Indonesia), December 14, 2007 – Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks, Line Beauchamp, announced Québec’s support for the creation in Montréal of an International Secretariat for mobilizing civil society on the question of climate change. The Government’s contribution will be of 100 000$ per year for a 3 year period.

This project was initiated in the winter of 2006 and set up through the efforts of Équiterre, with the financial support of Montréal International. It brings together some of the most significant organizations in the world that are involved in public awareness work, such as WWF, Greenpeace and the World Council of Churches, respected national groups like Vitae Civilis in Brazil, Équiterre in Québec and in Canada, and important philanthropic support community members such as the Pew Environment Group in the United States.

The objectives pursued by these major organizations through the creation of the Secretariat will ensure the coordination of their efforts, support existing mobilization campaigns around the world, help launch new campaigns where none presently exist and facilitate fundraising activities to financially sustain these campaigns.

“The organizations sought partners for establishing this Secretariat, and the Government of Québec was pleased to respond to their call,” declared Minister Beauchamp. “The importance of mobilizing civil society is well understood by the Government of Québec in the light of its experience with the struggle that took place in the arena of cultural diversity. In fact, it was only by supporting the involvement of civil society in certain countries that an agreement on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression was successfully adopted two years ago by UNESCO,” she went on to say.

On the issue of climate change, governments in many countries such as Norway, Finland and France, as well as The European Union, already support the involvement of international civil society in this matter. Québec wants to do its share.

The list of organisations that are involved in this struggle needs to be lengthened. Discussions on this matter took place in Bali and will continue during the coming months. “Fruitful meetings took place or will take place with other partners – governments as well as foundations – with a view to ensuring financial support for the Secretariat, and we will continue to support these measures over the course of the months ahead,” Minister Beauchamp also announced.

“I would like to take this opportunity to salute the work and the leadership of Équiterre in bringing this Secretariat to Montréal. The Secretariat will make it possible to ensure the sustainability of current international efforts concerning climate change. Montréal will in this way become a hub in the struggle against global warming, and once again confirm Québec’s leading role in this field,” she concluded.

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