February 04, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 15, 1428

PARIS, Feb 3: French President Jacques Chirac called on Saturday for a powerful UN environmental agency to reinforce international control over the planet.

Closing a two-day conference in Paris, Chirac said the proposal to replace the existing UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has the support of some 40 countries.

“We call for the transformation of the UNEP into a genuine international organisation to which all countries belong, along the lines of the World Health Organisation,” Chirac said.

“This UN agency for the environment will be a strong and recognised voice in the world,” he said.

“It will be an instrument for evaluating ecological damage and how to remedy it ... for promoting those technologies and behaviour patterns most respectful of eco-systems ... and for supporting the implementation of environmental decisions across the planet,” he said.—AFP