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| OPENING
SESSION: |
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Above photos:
Delegates were treated to traditional Korean dance and
music before the opening session of MCED 2005.
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In his welcome address, Kyul-Ho Kwak,
Korean Minister of Environment, said that the
objective of the Conference is to find ways to
achieve a win-win situation for economic growth
and environmental sustainability, and called for
the world community to shift from a growth-oriented
approach to a new chapter of environmentally sound
economic growth.
Hak-Su Kim, Executive Secretary of
ESCAP, delivered a message from Kofi Annan, UN
Secretary General, which highlighted the need for a
paradigm shift to green growth and called for
implementation of the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation (JPOI) and other international
agreements to fulfill sustainable development. Kim
noted the record number of ministers responsible for
environment, planning, and finance attending this
conference and commended the role played by civil
society in addressing sustainable development
issues.
In his inaugural address, H.E. Moo-hyun
Roh, President of the Republic of Korea,
stressed that economic growth without considering
sustainable development will cause adverse effects
to the environment. He said that his country is
turning from fast economic growth to green growth
and will become a benchmark for the region.
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| Above photos L-R:
Haruhiko Kuroda, President of ADB; Hee-Beom Lee; Shoji
Nishimoto, Assistant Administrator of UNDP; Klaus
Töpfer, Executive Director of UNEP |
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Klaus
Töpfer, Executive Director of UNEP,
highlighted the importance of immediate
implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan for
Technology Support and Capacity Building recently
adopted at the 23rd session of the UNEP
Governing Council, as well as cooperation among UN
organizations to assist developing countries to
achieve green growth. Haruhiko Kuroda,
President of ADB, said that the Bank has adopted
environmental policies that focus on environmental
protection, integration of environmental policies
into economic growth, and fostering partnerships. Hee-Beom
Lee, Minister of Commerce, Industry and
Energy, Republic of Korea, said it is important to
encourage voluntary actions through incentives,
rather than imposing strict regulations, and to
strengthen international cooperation for the
adoption and commercialization of the Best
Available Technologies. Shoji Nishimoto,
Assistant Administrator of UNDP, said improving
environmental governance and strengthening linkage
between environment and poverty reduction are the
key for achieving green growth. Delegates elected
by acclamation the following officers of the
meeting: Kyul-Ho Kwak as chairperson; the 23
ministers attending the meeting as
vice-chairpersons; and W.R.M.S. Wickramasinghe,
Additional Secretary of Environment and Natural
Resources, Sri Lanka, as Rapporteur.
Delegates
also adopted the provisional agenda (E/ESCAP/MCED(05)/L.1)
and the annotated provisional agenda (E/ESCAP/MCED(05)/L.2)
without amendments.
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| PLENARY:
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Ministerial
Briefing on the Recent Tsunami and Regional Response
Strategy:
Hak-Su Kim
stressed the integration
of emerging issues from recent tsunami and other natural
disasters into sustainable development plans. He
stressed the need for, inter alia: implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action; a community-based disaster risk management approach; and
capacity-building and awareness raising.
Sálvano Briceño, Director of UN
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, briefed
participants on UN activities related to disaster reduction, in
particular: the UN's appeal for humanitarian response and
tsunami early warning; initiation of the international
strategy for disaster reduction; outcomes of the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction and the Hyogo Framework
for Action; and the “Living in Freedom” report to
the UN General Assembly.
Klaus Töpfer highlighted the environmental
impacts of tsunami and underscored that early warning
systems should be developed for all types of natural
disasters. Haruhiko Kuroda said the efficiency of
rehabilitation and reconstruction works can be increased
through improved assessment of impacts and enhanced
cooperation and coordination.
Krasae Chanawongse, Asian Disaster
Preparedness Center, Kingdom of Thailand, spoke on
community-based disaster risk management and stressed
the importance of community awareness and
community-based early warning and preparedness systems
based on precautionary measures.
Highlighting the economic and human losses from
disasters, Masayuki Kitamoto, Asian Disaster
Reduction Center, Japan, said disaster reduction must be
integrated into national development agendas. He also
stressed that awareness building is essential and
requires considerable efforts. Hideaki Oda, Japan
Water Forum, briefed on an appeal for “halving human
loss by water disasters by 2015” through effective
early warning.
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| Above photos
L-R: Hideaki
Oda, Japan Water Forum; Krasae
Chanawongse, Asian Disaster Preparedness
Center, Kingdom of Thailand; Masayuki
Kitamoto, Asian Disaster Reduction Center,
Japan and Sálvano
Briceño, Director of UN International
Strategy for Disaster Reduction |
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Roundtable
on Major Stakeholders:
This
roundtable convened with participation of the
following eminent panelists: Ryutaro Hashimoto,
former Prime Minister of Japan, Haruhiko Kuroda,
Klaus Topfer, Kiyo Akasaka (below
right), Deputy Secretary General of Organization
of Economic Cooperation and Development, and Mostafa
Tolba, Chairman of Eminent Scientists
Symposium. Panelists discussed: how to achieve
green growth without causing harm to the environment;
how to deepen governments’ commitment to
environmental protection; how to make markets work
for environmental sustainability; and how to
change the way society produces and consumes. They
also highlighted, in particular: the need for early
warning systems to reduce water-related disasters;
financing for environmental projects; the principle of
common but differentiated responsibility; and economic
and financial instruments for green growth. |
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Above photos: Ryutaro
Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan; the
dais during the session on the "Roundatable
on Major Stakeholders"; Kiyo
Akasaka, Deputy Secretary General of
Organization of Economic Cooperation and
Development
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Reporting
from the Side Events:
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The Private Sector Forum recommended that
governments undertake measures to ensure
productive public-private partnership, through, inter
alia: fostering dialogue with the private sector;
linking green accounting with tax systems;
promoting mandatory green procurement; and
facilitating transfer of environmentally sound
technologies.
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The Civil Society Forum called upon all stakeholders to undertake a sectored approach to
increase eco-efficiency of consumption and
production systems by, inter
alia: promoting green consumption; increasing
resource circulation; supporting the eco-design of
products; and raising awareness on sustainable
consumption and production.
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The
Special Session of Water Management for Food and
the Environment
established a clear process to prepare the
first Asia and Pacific regional committee meeting
leading to the 4th World Water Forum.
Above photo: Christopher Scott,
International Water Management Institute (IWMI)
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The Eminent Scientists Symposium’s message to
the Conference highlighted the importance of:
enhancing education for sustainable development,
and providing policy-makers with simple scientific
information.
Above photos: Mostafa
Tolba, Chairman of Eminent Scientists
Symposium.
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The Eminent Environmental Economists Symposium
emphasized the relationship between economic
growth and environmental sustainability, and
policy measures for integrating environment into
development plans to create win-win outcomes.
Above photo:
Chung Mo Koo, President Korean Association
of Public Finance and Economics
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The Briefing on ADB-GEF Regional Technical Assistance
Project for Prevention and Control of Dust and
Sandstorms (DSS) in Northeast Asia recommended
establishment of a regional monitoring and early
warning network for DSS in Northeast Asia, and
mitigation of DSS through piloting demonstration
projects in DSS originating source areas.
Above photo: Nessim J. Ahmad, ADB
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The Multistakeholder Forum for an
Equitable and Environmentally Sustainable Society
discussed next steps to put into practice
recommendations in the APFED final report. He also
delivered the APFED appeal to the MCED 2005.
The Asia-Pacific Women’s Conference on
Environment urged governments to, inter
alia: recognize the key role women play in
environmental sustainability; allocate resources
to support and strengthen women’s capacity; and
create an enabling environment for women’s
empowerment.
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Above photos
L-R: Teymuraz Ramishvili, Russian
Federation; Yaacob Ibrahim, Singapore; Pan
Yue, China and Nado Rinchhen,
Bhutan |
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Policy
Perspectives in the Asian and Pacific
Region:
Hak-Su Kim highlighted some policy
concerns, including: achieving economic
growth, while ensuring environmental
sustainability; taking into account the
three pillars of sustainable development;
and adopting policy approaches tailored to
fit particular circumstances. Magda Lovei,
the World Bank, stressed integrating and
mainstreaming environmental problems into
development policies, and highlighted the
bank’s policy objectives in this regard.
Several
speakers urged donor countries to honor
their commitment to provide financial
support to developing countries for
environmental protection.
KINGDOM
OF BHUTAN stressed that political will and
commitment to implement should be the
cornerstone of green growth in the region.
MALAYSIA, in demonstrating the private
sector’s role in achieving green growth,
noted that more than 300 companies in his
country have conformed with ISO 14000. CHINA
highlighted trial implementation of green
GDP in the country, which is used to measure
environmental performance at various levels
of government. JAPAN advocated the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and said that Japan is
prepared to share its energy efficiency
expertise with the region to deal with
climate change. The RUSSIAN FEDERATION and
TAJIKISTAN highlighted the importance of shifting to a paradigm of green growth, and
emphasized subregional and bilateral
cooperation to deal with transboundary
environmental problems.
INDIA
stated that poverty reduction and
improvement of life quality should be
guiding principles for environmental
sustainability for the region. SINGAPORE
outlined its city program in the subregion.
MYANMAR spoke on the country’s challenges,
including: population growth, poverty,
financial difficulties, and natural
disaster, and called for regional
partnership in meeting these challenges.
KIRIBATI stressed the need for an early warning
system to manage natural disasters. REPUBLIC
OF KOREA said green growth will generate
enormous opportunities for poverty reduction
and environmental sustainability. |
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Above photos
L-R: Kazuko Nose, Japan; Nay Win,
Myanmar; Jae-Young Ko , Republic of Korea
and Abduvokhit Karimvo, Tajikistan |
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| MULTISTAKEHOLDER FORUM FOR EQUITABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY: |
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This forum, organized by the Ministry of
Environment of Japan and the Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies, Japan, in collaboration
with UNEP and ESCAP, convened on Sunday, 27 March.
Opening remarks were made by Myung-ja Kim,
Korean National Assembly Member, Kyul-Ho Kwak,
Korean Minister of Environment, and Hak-Su Kim,
ESCAP Executive Secretary. They highlighted the
efforts of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Environment
and Development (APFED) in promoting sustainable
development in the region. The keynote speeches by
Yuriko Kawaguchi, Special Assistant to the
Prime Minister of Japan, and Klaus Töpfer,
UNEP Executive Director, summarized the background
and outcomes of APFED, highlighting its
contributions to building a knowledge-based network
through partnership among different stakeholders.
A panel, comprising APFED members and chaired by Emil
Salim (above left), Association for Community
Empowerment, Indonesia, discussed the issues of:
how to cope with common challenges; and what are
the next steps forward to implement APFED
recommendations. Akio Morishima (above
right), Chairman of the Board of Directors,
Institute for Global Environment Strategies,
presented the final report of APFED, containing an
extensive assessment of environment and
development in the region and a set of
recommendations, which was officially launched at
the Forum.The participants also adopted the APFED
appeal to MCED 2005, which delivers the main
message � a new era for sustainable development
and a knowledge network. In his closing remarks, Ryutaro
Hashimoto, former Prime Minister of Japan,
said that APFED is a portfolio for good ideas,
which all stakeholders can make use of it.
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Above
photos L-R: Myung-ja
Kim, Korean National Assembly Member; Kyul-Ho
Kwak, Korean Minister of Environment; Hak-Su
Kim, ESCAP Executive Secretary; Yoriko
Kawaguchi, Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister of Japan; Klaus
T�pfer, UNEP Executive Director; |
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