A flag-raising ceremony for Uruguay is held at the headquarters of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Uruguay's flag was raised at the headquarters of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization in Beijing on Thursday.
In September last year, Uruguay submitted a Letter of Intent to join INBAR and over the past year, Uruguay completed all the legal procedures and officially became a member country of INBAR on Oct 1.
Sabitra Nakarmi, the minister counselor at the Nepalese Embassy in China and the representative of the INBAR's Council Chairperson, extends a warm welcome and congratulations to Uruguay on its new membership. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
INBAR is the first independent, non-profit intergovernmental organization headquartered in China. It was established in 1997, following the signing of the Establishment Agreement of the INBAR by China, Canada and seven other countries.
"Through joint efforts with INBAR's host country China, other member countries and international partners, Uruguay's bamboo and rattan industry is poised to enter a new period of rapid development. This will inject new vitality into the sustainable development of the bamboo and rattan industry in Latin America and globally," said Jiang Zehui, co-chair of the Board of Trustees of INBAR.
Representatives take a group picture before the flag-raising ceremony. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Cheng Hong, chief engineer of China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said that in November 2022, the administration and INBAR co-hosted the 2nd World Bamboo and Rattan Congress where the "Replace Plastic with Bamboo" initiative was launched, providing green and sustainable solutions to global plastic pollution and climate change.
In November last year, the "Global Action Plan for Replacing Plastic with Bamboo (2023-2030)" was released, setting specific goals and clear directions for further implementation of the "Replace Plastic with Bamboo" initiative worldwide.
Fernando Mattos, Uruguay's Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries sends a video message. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
"We proudly announce the satisfaction of the Uruguayan government in becoming the 51st member state and raising our national flag at the INBAR headquarters to initiate the process that ratifies our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals," said Fernando Mattos, Uruguay's Minister of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries in a video message.
"Our accession to INBAR will generate additional commitment to sustainability and the defense of natural resources," he added.
