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27/03/2006 - OECD Environment and Development ministers meet in Paris to discuss ways of helping developing countries to strengthen their economies without harming the environment.

In many poor countries, natural resources are estimated to account for as much as 25% of national wealth, compared with only about 4% in OECD countries. But essential services and supplies  based on  ecosystems –  such as forests, water and soils  - are being sadly eroded in many developing countries. Though  people in poor countries  depend heavily on a clean environment  for their livelihood, their governments often lack the know-how and funding to protect it. 

Sweden's Minister of the Environment, Lena Sommestad, and the Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee, Richard Manning, will lead discussions between ministers from the main aid-giving countries on how to better  factor  environmental considerations into development  co-operation. This  would include sharing more information with developing countries and assisting their own efforts to integrate the environment into their economic and development priorities. 

The following day  -  April 5  -, the new preliminary aid figures for 2005   and the outlook for scaled-up aid will be discussed at the annual high-level meeting of the OECD Development Assistance Committee  (DAC), bringing together Ministers and agency heads from countries responsible for over 90% of the world’s bilateral aid.  

Media logistics:

• 12:00 on Monday 3 April Lena Sommestad and Richard Manning will brief journalists on their expectations for the meeting.
• 18:00 on Tuesday 4 April they will hold a news conference at the close of the meeting to outline the Ministers’ actions and decisions. Richard Manning will also release the preliminary 2005 aid figures. Journalists are welcome to join ministers at a cocktail following the news conference.

Interviews with individual ministers can be arranged upon request. These can be done at the OECD or, for broadcasters, through the OECD television and radio studios.

Further information, including background material, is available at:
www.oecd.org/epocdacmin2006

Journalists wishing to attend the news conferences and cocktail are asked to contact the OECD Media Division  or contact Helen Fisher in the OECD Media division (Tel: + 33 1 45 24 80 97).