Regional seas programmes have been brought into line with current socio-economic realities. UNEP has built strategies to improve compliance with international agreements - to ensure that those agreements yield lasting results, not just promises. UNEP has also built on the synergies and interlinkages available within various environmental conventions. In an era of accelerating globalization, it is imperative that if we are to have any hope of protecting our environment, we must understand the connections between the health of the world s economies and the health of the resources on which our economies depend. Economists, financiers, businessmen and bankers will have to recognize the hidden costs in the exploitation of the seas, the land and the air for short-term wealth.
Nations are like people.
Each must choose whether to live selfishly and complacently or to act with courage and faith. Ignoring the stewardship of any of our social, economic and environmental resources could seriously undermine the wellness of our societies. On the other hand, understanding our dependence on these precious and finite resources can lead us to new insights about the meaning of security. We cannot be secure until these resources are protected and ordinary citizens are empowered to be able to make decisions about their wise use.