Video Message by President Milanović on the Occasion of Transformative Action for Nature and People Event
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović participated in the Transformative Action for Nature and People high-level event held on the margins of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where heads of state and government and their partners presented transformative initiatives, policies and financing aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
The following is the full transcript of the video message by President Milanović aired at the Transformative Action for Nature and People high-level event:
“Almost 30 years ago, a group of environmentalists had a dream of the biggest protected riverine area in Europe, a dream called the Amazon of Europe. A shared dream finally became reality when UNESCO – first with Croatia and Hungary in 2012 and just a few days ago together with Austria, Serbia and Slovenia – proclaimed the riverine landscape of the Mura, Drava and Danube rivers the world’s first Biosphere Reserve to include five countries. This unique space in the heart of Europe – almost a million hectares and 700 kilometers of rivers – is an area where nature and humans not only coexist, but also thrive.
The countries participating in the project are committed to jointly protecting, restoring and investing in this landscape. In times of climate crisis and vast extinction of species, the protection of natural areas that are still preserved has become a matter of survival. The proclamation of the Biosphere Reserve is an important step towards a green and sustainable future for all of us.
Now, after the proclamation, we must fulfil our commitment and make sure the Reserve lives up to its full potential. Today, I am confident that our 5-country Biosphere Reserve will inspire many other such initiatives around the globe, which will prove as well that nature knows no boundaries!”