ECA Chairman Tommy Short and Marcelo de Andrade, the organization’s president, participated in an international Earth Charter gathering, which took place at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam from November 7-9, five years after the launch of the Earth Charter. More than 350 participants attended the event, including Queen Beatrix and members of the Dutch royal family.

The conference involved assessing the impacts and accomplishments of the Earth Charter in addition to establishing goals, priorities, and strategies for the next five years. Specific events include linking the Earth Charter with projects to achieve the Millennium Goals and with the U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, promoting the use of the Earth Charter in the fields of business and conflict resolution, and engaging youth networks in the realization of global sustainability.