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Greeting from
UN Secretary-General
When the Government of Norway established GRID-
Arendal in 1989, it inaugurated a new and innova-
tive model for supporting the vital work of the Uni-
ted Nations Environment Programme. For the first
time, the international community had at its disposal
a foundation fully dedicated to strenghtening UNEP
and the UN system in the field of environmental in-
formation.
GRID-Arendal has provided UNEP and the
entire UN family with reliable and up-to-
date information that has been extremely
useful in shaping environmental policy and
in raising awareness about environmental
challenges. I would like to congratulate all
those whose dedication and expertise have
played a role in creating and maintaining
the Global Resource Information Database. I
would also like to thank the Government of
Norway for its visionary thinking and sup-
port. The foundation shows how a non-
profit organization, with strong Government
backing, can make an effective contribution
to the UN system. Such partnerships will be
crucial if we are to ensure the health of our
planet into the next millennium.
Robert Maass/UNDP
U N I T E D N A T I O N S
N A T I O N S U N I E S
Kofi A. Annan
Secretary-General
UN