STORY: UN / GA MOTHER EARTH DAY
TRT: 1.53
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ SPANISH/ NATS

DATELINE: 22 APRIL 2010, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN building

22 APRIL 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, The Secretary-General at the dais
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Javier Loayza, Deputy Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations:
“Development must have limits. There cannot be infinite development in a finite planet, this is unsustainable and impossible. The limits to development are determined by the regenerative capacity of the earth’s vital cycles. When development begins to systematically break that balance, as it is happening today with climate change, we are no longer speaking about development but deterioration and destruction of the earth’s system.”
5. Zoom in, delegate
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Regina Dunlop, Deputy Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations:
“Brazil understands Mother Earth’s Day as an opportunity to call attention to the environment in the context of sustainable development and its fundamental bearing on the well-being of mankind. The protection and the sustainable use of the environment cannot be dissociated from the fulfilment of the aspirations of all peoples to economic development and social progress.”
7. Zoom in, delegate
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Palitha Kohona, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations:
“Humanity, while it possesses a unique identity among living beings, is nevertheless an inseparable part of ‘Mother Earth’. We, humans, have made considerable modifications for centuries to the natural character of this planet, but in the most recent centuries our impact has been serious through unsustainable and predatory activity.”
9. Pan right, General Assembly Hall

STORYLINE:

Delegates from a wide range of nations stressed the need to respect and care for the Earth, at a special General Assembly meeting today (22 April) commemorating International Mother Earth Day.

Bolivian Ambassador Javier Loayza stressed that unchecked development is "unsustainable and impossible" noting that “the limits to development are determined by the regenerative capacity of the earth’s vital cycles”. He added that when that balance is broken, “we are no longer speaking about development but deterioration and destruction of the earth’s system.”

The First World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth took place this week in Cochabamba, Bolivia, as an alternative to last year’s Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen.

Brazilian Ambassador Regina Dunlop told the General Assembly that her country sees the celebration of Mother Earth’s Day as an “opportunity to call attention to the environment in the context of sustainable development”, highlighting the need to strike a balance between the preservation of the Earth’s resources “the fulfilment of the aspirations of all peoples to economic development and social progress.”

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Palitha Kohona noted that humanity is “an inseparable part” of Mother Earth, and noted that although humans “have made considerable modifications for centuries to the natural character of this planet” in recent centuries the impact has become “serious through unsustainable and predatory activity.”

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a written statement declared that “for all of human history we have depended on nature’s bounty for sustenance, well-being and development. Too often we have drawn on nature’s capital without putting back. We are now beginning to see the consequences of failing to safeguard our investment.”

The General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution last year proclaiming 22 April as International Mother Earth Day, expressing its conviction that, to achieve a just balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and future generations, “it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.”