The First Lady of Sierra Leone, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Maada Bio has urged the United Nations Advisory Board on Zero Waste for Planet Earth to put premium on advocacy for zero waste to help save our planet.
The United Nations Advisory Board on Zero Waste for Planet Earth Inaugural meeting was held as a virtual meeting through video-conferencing.
Dr. Bio wrote on her Facebook page saying: “As an Eminent Member of the United Nation’s Advisory Board on Zero Waste, it was an honour for me to be part of our inaugural orientation meeting today 26th July, 2023”.
She extended a “Thank you” to other participants at the virtual meeting especially the First Lady of Turkey Her Excellency Emine Erdogan, the UN Under Secretary General for Policy matters Guy Bernard Ryder CBE, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat Maimunah Sharif and the rest of the Team Globally.
“Joining the meeting from my Office in Freetown, Sierra Leone, my pledge as usual was straight to the point – to serve my country and my continent Africa.” Dr. Fatima Bio continued, adding; “I urged the Board to have a clear vision and agenda that work for everyone and to put premium on advocacy for zero waste to help save our planet.”
On Thursday 30th March 2023 to mark the first-ever International Day of Zero Waste, the Spokesperson for António Guterres, United Nations Secretary General informed that the Secretary-General has announced that he is establishing an Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste.
The Board will share success stories of national and local zero-waste initiatives. The announcement was done at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly that morning as part of the events to mark the Day.
The Secretary General expressed concerns that humanity is treating our planet like a garbage dump. He warned that by 2050, municipal solid waste will double to 4 billion tonnes each year. He called on everyone to work as one to build a circular, zero-waste future.
Mr. Guterres underscored that Sustainable Development Goal 12 reminds us of the imperative to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns by 2030, and that the General Assembly Resolution on Zero Waste Initiatives demonstrates that the political will is there.
Subsequent to the announcement, the United Nations Secretary General selected Sierra Leone First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio to join Turkey First Lady Emine Erdogan as members of the Eminent Persons on the United Nations Advisory Board.
