The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered to present the launch of Jamaica’s State of the Environment (SoE) Report (2010) and the national launch of the UNDP Human Development Report (HDR) (2011). Both Reports will be launched on December 16, 2011 at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

Dr. the Hon. Horace Chang, Minister of Housing, Environment, Water and Local Government, will give the main address, while presentations will be made on key highlights for both reports.

The event will also feature a symposium on "Human Development, Environment & Equity.” Panelists will include: Dr. Barry Wade - Director, Environmental Solutions Ltd, Dr. Gladstone Hutchinson - Director General, Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) and Professor Elizabeth Thomas-Hope -Visiting Professor& Fellow, Oxford University.

The State of the Environment (SoE) Report which was prepared with funding support from UNDP and input from government ministries, departments and agencies, is a status report on the condition of Jamaica’s environment. The Report identifies the major environmental issues facing the island and the possible areas for improvement in order to achieve a healthier environment and promote sustainable development. The joint launch with the HDR 2011 puts the examination of the state of Jamaica’s environment within a broader context, making the connection between human development, equity and sustainable development.

The Human Development Report 2011 has as its theme “Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All” and explores the linkages between environmental sustainability and equity and forecasts a possible collision course if human development and environmental risks are not brought into balance. The Report provides new contributions to the global dialogue on the balance between environmental sustainability, equity and human rights.