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STATEMENT BY José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SPAIN
I appreciate the invitation of the World Meteorological Organization to contribute, as President of the
Government of Spain, to this publication commemorating the World Climate Conference-3. I believe that
this conference, as well as this publication, will contribute in a significant way to a better acknowledgement
of the vulnerability of society to climate evolution, as well as to the necessity for long-term political and
economical actions to assure the sustainable progress and development of humankind.
As indicated by the last Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the Iberian Peninsula is a
highly vulnerable region with regards to the climate change process, and some of the first effects are already
evident in our natural, economical and social environment. As such, the development of adaptation and
mitigation policies is a high priority for my government, as is contributing to joint global efforts to prevent
humankind from being seriously affected by climate change. Indeed, this aim should serve as a foundation for
the development of a new ecological conscience, as well as for a model of economical development compatible
with this.
I reiterate my appreciation to the United Nations for its efforts – made through the World Meteorological
Organization – and I fully support its efforts to maintain and reinforce activities that are critical to the future
of our planet.
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
President of the Government of Spain