Ibrahimović opens UN Global Event on Healthy Indoor Air

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ervin Ibrahimović opened the international event “Healthy Indoor Air – A Global Call to Action”, co-hosted by Montenegro and France on the margins of the General Debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, with support from the Australian Academy of Science, the Burnet Institute, and Brown University.

In his remarks, Ibrahimović recalled the UN General Assembly Resolution recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a universal human right, underscoring that Montenegro was among the first countries to place this issue at the very core of its public policies.

From the very first article of our Constitution, Montenegro is defined as an ecological state. Improving indoor air quality, particularly in schools, is not merely a technical matter, but an investment in the health and future of our children, he added.

He emphasized that children spend the majority of their day in classrooms, and that education lies at the heart of this approach. Ensuring safe and healthy learning environments is one of the most important investments a society can make. That is why this initiative, rooted in the education and health of children, transcends our borders and carries global significance, said Ibrahimović.

The event gathered heads of state, international organizations, and leading scientific and health experts from around the world, culminating in the signing of the Global Charter on Healthy Indoor Air. For the first time at the international level, this act affirmed that clean air in classrooms, hospitals, and workplaces is not a privilege, but a fundamental human right and a universal standard that all states should strive to achieve.

Concluding his address, Ibrahimović expressed gratitude to France and all partners for their support, stressing that Montenegro remains firmly committed to promoting international initiatives that advance public health and quality of life. Our goal is clear – to make clean indoor air a universal standard, not a privilege, he added.

The event also featured remarks by Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović.