MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations General Assembly observes November 6 every year as International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. The United Nations (UN) Declaration was made on November 5, 2011, to underscore the tremendous importance that the United Nations places on ensuring that action on the environment is part of conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and peace building strategies.

The global organization believes there can be no lasting peace if the natural resources that sustain livelihoods and ecosystems are not replaced.

Six United Nations agencies and departments – the UN Development Programme, the Department of Political Affairs, the United Nations Environment Programme, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN-HABITAT, and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs – have partnered with the European Union to help countries reduce tensions over natural resources and utilize environmental management as part of the strategy in peace building and conflict prevention efforts.

Data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reveals “that over the last 60 years, at least 40 percent of all internal conflicts have been linked to the exploitation of natural resources, whether high-value resources such as timber, diamonds, gold, and oil, or scarce resources such as fertile land and water.”

As we observe International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict, we are reminded of the essential role played by our environmental resources in the achievement and maintenance of peace. Governments and states are urged to commit themselves to protecting the environment – on which nearly half the world’s population, including the vast majority of the rural poor, depend for their daily sustenance and income – in times of armed struggles.