242

News

Crown Princess Mary appointed president of WWF in Denmark

Ayee Macaraig
June 29th, 2020


This article is more than 4 years old.

After promoting reproductive health and immunisation, the Crown Princess will now be at the forefront of protecting biodiversity

Crown Princess Mary is the new president of the Danish branch of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (photo: Steen Brogaard, Kongehuset)

Crown Princess Mary will lead efforts to protect endangered species and preserve wildlife habitat as the new president of the WWF World Nature Fund in Denmark.

The Danish branch of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), an international conservation organisation, confirmed her appointment on Monday.

The Crown Princess has been working actively with the UN’s global goals and will now advocate for the conservation of forests, coral reefs and diverse wildlife.

“We only have one globe, and we have to take good care of it and the animals to ensure that our children and the generations after them also have a safe and natural world to grow up in,” said the wife of Crown Prince Frederik and mother of four.

Rainforest and plastic projects
Biodiversity loss and man-made environmental disasters are the main problems the WWF is working to address. The group said the Crown Princess will help raise awareness about these issues.

“The Crown Princess has an outstanding ability to bridge decision-makers, businesses and citizens, and she can contribute to important lasting changes,” said Bo Øksnebjerg, the secretary general of the WWF World Nature Fund.

The WWF has more than 1,000 projects in the world. The Crown Princess will focus on those concerning animals, rainforests, plastic, ocean and the Arctic.

Immunisation and reproductive rights advocate
A commerce and law graduate born in Australia, Crown Princess Mary is a patron of various humanitarian groups. She had received a top humanitarian award for her work in helping the vulnerable.

In 2010, she became patron of the UN Population Fund and promoted sexual and reproductive health. She is also a patron of the World Health Organization in Europe, championing access to immunisation and basic health services.

In assuming her latest role in WWF, she follows in the footsteps of her father-in-law. Prince Henrik, who was president of the organisation from 1972 until his death two years ago.


Share

Most popular

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive The Daily Post

















Latest Podcast

A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”