COP13: Mexico calls for focus on biodiversity problems with Trump wall

CANCUN — Mexico will seek ties with the United States to publicize the negative effects to biodiversity from building a border wall, said Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Rafael Pacchiano Alamán, Notimex reported.

At the opening of the high-level meeting of the 13th United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP13), the official said that the Mexican government will do the same with Donald Trump after assuming the US presidency.

“We wait for the new government to take position to work and that is when we will start working hand in hand; warnings have been made on all the problems that this wall could cause,” he said.

The United Nations Environment Director (UNEP), Erik Solheim, commented that at the moment, when talking about building a wall, it is necessary to restore the concept of working together.

He considered that the United States, Mexico, Europe and China, for example, work together towards common solutions, such as the Paris Agreement or the Sustainable Development Goals.

In turn, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, pointed out that all countries must play their part in protecting natural resources for the benefit of all humanity.

“All countries have interdependence with respect to the environment and biodiversity, so no country can be totally self-sufficient in biodiversity-related issues,” he said.

He pointed out the need to involve all economic sectors to promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as the work of the environmental sector is not enough.

Source: notimex.gob.mx