UN officials called for “a comprehensive plan” to guarantee sustainable development and respect to indigenous communities in Southeastern Mexico.
After inaugurating World Habitat Day in Mexico City, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of the UN-Habitat, said the agency is willing to work alongside the federal administration on the Mayan Train, which will roll through Yucatan, Tabasco, Chiapas, Quintana Roo and Campeche.
“A holistic plan is needed which could be a catalyst for sustainable development,” said the UN’s deputy general secretary Maimunah Mohd Sharif.
The UN directive also indicated that they will accompany the federal government in the project to make sure international standards are met.
Eduardo López Moreno, head of the UN-Habitat in Mexico, explained that studies have been conducted on the Mayan Train and the territory and vowed to cooperate with the federal government to ensure that the environment, local economy and community values are protected.
Maimunah Mohd Sharif highlighted that Mexican cities generate 10,000 million tons of garbage a year, of which only 20% are recycled, and stated that the government must intervene and do something about this situation asap.
The Yucatan Times Newsroom with information from Novedades