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144651
Sun, 10/03/2010 - 15:33
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UN Asia confab stresses sustainable development for region
Tehran, Oct 3, IRNA – Environment and development ministers from over 40 Asian and Pacific Island states in Astana on Saturday committed to a Declaration and Regional Implementation Plan for environmentally-sustainable economic growth across the region.
The move is to reduce poverty by stimulating green growth and other sustainable initiatives including job creation in Asia’s energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, at a United Nations Conference held in the capital of Kazakhstan, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here on Sunday.
MCED-6, the sixth UN Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development for Asia and the Pacific also unanimously endorsed the Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative to encourage environmental partnerships and cooperation on development between the Europe and Asia regions.
“In all countries of the region there is a need for economic growth and simultaneously, a need for safety of the environment, that is the challenge to which we must find answers,” said Karim Masimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in opening the conference. “This challenge requires a new focus on a green economy and for environmentally sustainable development.”
Prime Minister Masimov and Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific presided over a session of all ministers to endorse a formal statement in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit) to be held in Brazil in 2012.
“The record number of ministers gathered today is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of Asia’s future generations,” said Dr. Heyzer at the conference. “The Green Growth approach adopted at this conference – included in the Astana Declaration – commits our nations to investment in eco-efficient and clean technologies, and balanced development for shared prosperity, social progress and environmental sustainability.”
The Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative has been championed by the Government of Kazakhstan and is a first-ever international agreement between two of the world’s largest regions – Europe and Asia and the Pacific - for environmental cooperation in the ecological use of natural resources, low carbon development, sustainable urban development and promotion of green business and green technology.
“Strengthening the international mechanisms and cooperation can help trust-building processes and promote global good governance and multi-lateralism,” said Mohammadizadeh, Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “The Green Bridge Initiative will facilitate technology transfer to achieve rapid green growth as appropriately adapted to country-specific circumstances.”
Delegates, including representatives of small island developing states and mountainous states, strongly emphasized that the human and economic costs of natural disasters and environmental degradation are especially high for the poorest and least-developed countries.
“Climate change and sea-level rise continue to pose significant risks to small island developing states and their efforts to achieve sustainable development,” said Natan Teewe, Minister of Finance for the Pacific island state of Kiribati. “We therefore seek a draft roadmap to implement green growth in the Pacific.”
“Until now, insufficient international attention has been paid to mountain eco-systems issues, which are of prime concern to the small landlocked mountain countries,” emphasized Biymirza Toktoraliev, head of delegation for Kyrgyzstan.
Ministers and delegations endorsed both the Astana Ministerial Declaration on Green Growth and the Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative, during final sessions on Saturday after all delegations provided statements of support for the Declaration and an accompanying implementation plan. Civil society and environmental non-governmental organization representatives from both Asia and Europe added their support to the consensus of the ministers during final deliberations.
The Astana Declaration and implementation plan commits the Asian countries to regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable and renewable energy, improved water management practices, the increased investment and development in green technologies and collaboration and the sharing of best practices in investing in sustainable economic growth in respective countries./end
The move is to reduce poverty by stimulating green growth and other sustainable initiatives including job creation in Asia’s energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, at a United Nations Conference held in the capital of Kazakhstan, a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) said here on Sunday.
MCED-6, the sixth UN Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development for Asia and the Pacific also unanimously endorsed the Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative to encourage environmental partnerships and cooperation on development between the Europe and Asia regions.
“In all countries of the region there is a need for economic growth and simultaneously, a need for safety of the environment, that is the challenge to which we must find answers,” said Karim Masimov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in opening the conference. “This challenge requires a new focus on a green economy and for environmentally sustainable development.”
Prime Minister Masimov and Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific presided over a session of all ministers to endorse a formal statement in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit) to be held in Brazil in 2012.
“The record number of ministers gathered today is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of Asia’s future generations,” said Dr. Heyzer at the conference. “The Green Growth approach adopted at this conference – included in the Astana Declaration – commits our nations to investment in eco-efficient and clean technologies, and balanced development for shared prosperity, social progress and environmental sustainability.”
The Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative has been championed by the Government of Kazakhstan and is a first-ever international agreement between two of the world’s largest regions – Europe and Asia and the Pacific - for environmental cooperation in the ecological use of natural resources, low carbon development, sustainable urban development and promotion of green business and green technology.
“Strengthening the international mechanisms and cooperation can help trust-building processes and promote global good governance and multi-lateralism,” said Mohammadizadeh, Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. “The Green Bridge Initiative will facilitate technology transfer to achieve rapid green growth as appropriately adapted to country-specific circumstances.”
Delegates, including representatives of small island developing states and mountainous states, strongly emphasized that the human and economic costs of natural disasters and environmental degradation are especially high for the poorest and least-developed countries.
“Climate change and sea-level rise continue to pose significant risks to small island developing states and their efforts to achieve sustainable development,” said Natan Teewe, Minister of Finance for the Pacific island state of Kiribati. “We therefore seek a draft roadmap to implement green growth in the Pacific.”
“Until now, insufficient international attention has been paid to mountain eco-systems issues, which are of prime concern to the small landlocked mountain countries,” emphasized Biymirza Toktoraliev, head of delegation for Kyrgyzstan.
Ministers and delegations endorsed both the Astana Ministerial Declaration on Green Growth and the Astana ‘Green Bridge’ Initiative, during final sessions on Saturday after all delegations provided statements of support for the Declaration and an accompanying implementation plan. Civil society and environmental non-governmental organization representatives from both Asia and Europe added their support to the consensus of the ministers during final deliberations.
The Astana Declaration and implementation plan commits the Asian countries to regional cooperation in the fields of sustainable and renewable energy, improved water management practices, the increased investment and development in green technologies and collaboration and the sharing of best practices in investing in sustainable economic growth in respective countries./end
