Ambassador Betty King, U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, highlights the importance of World Wetlands Day.

The Missions to the United Nations in Geneva of the United States and Botswana co-hosted an event to celebrate World Wetlands Day 2012. Ambassador Betty King of the United States, Ambassador Palai of Botswana, Nick Davidson, Deputy Director General of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and Poul Engberg-Pederson, Deputy Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature all participated in the event. Speaking on the importance of wetlands Ambassador King said, “World Wetlands Day gives us a unique opportunity to highlight and celebrate our diverse wetlands around the globe. Only recently have we begun to understand the important functions that wetlands perform – they are the world’s most productive environments, comparable to coral reefs and rain forests, and a vital link between water and land. With this as inspiration, the U.S. State Department chose to initiate a photo celebration to focus global attention on wetlands.”