VICTOR LICHTINGER APPOINTED MEXICO'S ENVIRONMENT MINISTER
On November 23, 3000, Victor Lichtinger, was appointed by
President-Elect Vicente Fox, as Secretary for Environment and
Natural Resources for Mexico. Lichtinger was former Executive Director
of the North American Commission for Environmental
Cooperation (CEC), from 1994 to 98. He played a major role in the design
and early development of the organization. Under
his leadership the CEC began to take shape as an active organization
responsive to the needs of civil society, and emerged
as a credible rallying point for cooperation among the three NAFTA
partners in addressing environmental issues of common
concern. Lichtinger has scruples and principles. He stood by those when
he was buffeted by the pressures of the previous
PRI Mexican government to not release the CEC Article 14 report on the
potentially harmful effectives to the coral reefs
from a proposed new mega-cruise ship port planned for construction on
the Mexican island of Cozumel (See the file
SEM 96 001 at the CEC website
cec.org;
submissionID=3
).
Expect Victor Lichtinger to carry out the strong environmental mandate
of President Vicente Fox. As well, Victor Lichtinger,
as one of his first press conferences December 6, announced Mexico's
about face, pledging stronger support for the
investigative actions of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
under Articles 14 and 15. A tall fiery redhead,
Lichtinger was also one of Mexico's foremost waterpolo players in his
university years. For the full text of the CEC press
release on Victor Lichtinger, go to the website cec.org |
