Port of Spain: The spouses of some of the leaders attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas have committed themselves to working towards creating a cleaner and greener environment. 

Nine (9) of the 34 spouses attended a specially designed programme on April 18th, 2009 at the Petrotrin Club in Point-A-Pierre, south Trinidad.

Speaking on the theme of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, “Securing our Citizens’ Future by promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability,” Kim Simplis-Barrow, the wife of the Belizean Prime Minister Dean Barrow said the Government of Belize is fully aware of the crucial links between environmental sustainability and poverty. However, Her Excellency said a balance must be struck between development initiatives and poverty.

Belize’s First Lady noted: “Poverty is said to be both the cause and effect of environmental degradation. The poor generally rely on natural resources for their sustenance as they may not have access to other resources.” In this vein she feels any attempt to conserve the environment should take the rural poor into consideration saying it should be viewed as an opportunity to help poor communities generate income while maintaining the environment.

“When communities’ livelihoods depend on the environment, they have a stake in its sustainability.”

Her Excellency Liesbeth Anita Maria Vanenburg-Venetiaan of Suriname shares a similar view. She told other spouses that sustainable development can only be achieved through a holistic approach.

For her it’s an important role, “if environmental conditions are poor, the development of a nation can be at stake.”

She said her country has always been prudent about nature conservation and has ratified a number of environmental conventions but she lamented that too many people continue to live in poverty. She feels “…reducing these numbers remains one of the Government’s highest priorities.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom, Mrs. Vanenburg-Venetiaan sees a glimmer of hope. She said Suriname now stands at, what she described as, a turning point and has called on the global community, especially the heavily industrialised ones, to take up their responsibility by providing more funds to developing countries to support their environmental initiatives.

Meantime, El Salvador’s First Lady, Her Excellency Ana Ligia Mixco Sol de Saca reminded everyone that the world is virtually without borders and all of humankind’s actions, regardless of where they happen, impact on everyone. But she said she will not resign herself to pessimistic views.

Host and wife of the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Hazel Manning underscored the importance of education in a wide ranging speech. She said education must be seen as a solution to the challenges facing the world, while insisting that people like her and the other spouses must also remember they are role models.

Mrs. Manning, who is also the Minister of Local Government said, “In our quest to improve the quality of life of our citizens we also recognise that proper planning ensures homes built by and to be built by government and agricultural acreage are situated in areas that are not prone to natural disasters like flooding, volcanic activity and landslides.”

Mrs. Manning said her husband Prime Minister Patrick Manning and other leaders are grappling with various challenges. However she’s of the view that spouses can support their respective leaders by becoming advocates and champions for some of the critical issues facing our world.

Mrs. Manning along with the First Ladies of Suriname, Belize and El Salvador gave presentations during the programme but there were contributions by the wives of Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mrs. Mara Thompson, Jamaica’s First Lady, Mrs. Lorna Golding, Mexico’s First Lady, Margarita Zavala Gomez del Campo, St. Lucia’s First Lady, Rosella Nestor King and St. Vincent and the Grenadines First Lady, Eloise Gonsalves.

Like the main speakers, they gave their commitment to do their part to ensure a vital contribution to environmental sustainability.

The spouses’ programme is the first of its kind in the history of the Summit of the Americas and was a mix of fun and work. It started off today, April 18h, 2009 with presentations by spouses but the First Ladies were then treated to a cultural presentation which showcased the cosmopolitan and diverse heritage of Trinidad and Tobago.

Following the presentation, the First Ladies, accompanied by the wives of members of Trinidad and Tobago’s Parliament took a walk through the Wild Fowl Trust, an eco-reserve and conservation site located on the Petrotrin Industrial Estate in Point-a-Pierre.

The spouses’ programme ended with the First Ladies returning to the capital city, Port of Spain on the water-taxi, which transports passengers on a daily basis from South Trinidad to the Waterfront Promenade.