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Country Statement
by
Dr. Marc Garneau
President, Canadian Space Agency
On behalf of
The Honourable Stéphane Dion, M.P., P.C
Minister of the Environment
At the Third Earth Observation Summit,
Brussels, Belgium February 16, 2005
Checked against delivery
Thank you Mr. Chairman
On behalf of the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of
the Environment, who
unfortunately cannot be with us here today, and the Government of Canada,
I
would like to express our appreciation to Mr. Mitsos for organizing this,
the Third
Earth Observation Summit.
Canada is proud to be a party to the adoption of this 10-Year
Implementation Plan. As a nation we also have commitments under the Kyoto
Protocol to
improve the Earth’s environment. It is fitting that both GEO and
Kyoto are
celebrated today.
Canada has been a very active participant in the preparation of the
Plan,
including hosting the fifth meeting of the ad hoc Group on Earth Observations
in
Ottawa in November 2004. Canada looks forward to participating with
equal or
greater vigour during the implementation of the Plan. The tragedy in
south-eastAsia, floods in other parts of the world and hurricane-ravaged
countries in the
Caribbean provide additional impetus for us to get on with the job.
We are also committed to completing a Federal Earth Observation Strategy
for
Canada. Over the next two years, we will work with other levels of
government,
with industry and academia to develop a national partnership and
plan. Canada, as a northern country, has always taken
a special interest in the Arctic.
We will, as part of our contribution, place special emphasis on
this geographic
area and will use the International Polar Year as one of the key
opportunities to
exercise our involvement.
In summary, Canada is a committed partner in this important
enterprise. I would
emphasize the need to ensure that data are transformed into useful
information to assist all humankind to mitigate natural disasters,
improve economic
performance and achieve sustainable development goals.
We look forward to the work ahead to make this a better planet,
safer and
healthier for its inhabitants.
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