UN head: life-essential plant health must be protected

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres has said that more resources are required to protect life-essential plant health threatened by unregulated movement of goods and people, diseases, invasive pests and the climate crisis.

Guterres made the statement in a message for the International Year of Plant Health in Rome on Tuesday.

UN General Assembly has proclaimed 2020 the International Year of Plant Health. With the declaration, the intergovernmental organization hopes to raise awareness about the significance of plants for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and zero hunger.  

In his message, the UN chief said that plants are vital for all life on planet Earth.

“They provide us with most of our food and the oxygen we breathe,” reads the UN head’s message. “For nearly half the global population, plants are a primary source of income and we all rely on them for clothes, medicines, and shelter among other things.”

The UN boss stated that preserving plant health contributes to environmental protection, food security, economic development and our own health.

 “We need to strengthen the capacity of national, regional and global institutions to develop and implement phytosanitary standards and actions to improve plant health,” said the UN secretary-general. “On this International Year and throughout this Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals, let us dedicate the necessary resources and increase our commitment to plant health.” 

“Let us act for people and planet.”

In his remarks to the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on Monday, Guterres warned of catastrophic disaster if global temperature rise exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The UN chief also made remarks to a round table with heads of state and government at the conference, appealing to the political leaders present to lead, not just follow to be able to defeat climate change.

Image credit - UN Photo by Tobias Hofsaess