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President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias could not attend the AD Partners September 22nd event due to a last minute meeting in Washington DC. He was to be the third Nobel Peace laureate on stage with former Vice President Al Gore and Professor Wangari Maathai. In lieu of his presence, President asked that the following statement be delivered to the audience:

My friends, I wish I could join you in person today, and am very grateful for this chance to express my support. Protecting primary forests is of the utmost importance not only to my country, and not only to all developing countries, but also to the entire world. We have not a moment to lose in our global struggle against climate change, and yet we are failing to protect our greatest natural asset in that struggle I call on the developed world, 

particularly the United States, to fill the leadership void on this urgent issue and create incentives for developing countries so that we can make conservation an affordable choice. We certainly can’t afford the alternative. I am inspired in the knowledge that all of you in the room today are making that same call, and I wish you strength. We must not stop until we are heard, and action is taken.

– President Oscar Arias Sanchez,
1987 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

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