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Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - 04.30 GMT |
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We must address
crisis of Climate Change in pragmatic manner
- President at NAM
“Those who
polluted Planet must bear primary burden” |
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The
impact
of human
activity
causing
global
climate
change
will
result
in
serious
adverse
implications
for
agriculture,
fisheries
and
related
industries.
There is
a clear
possibility
of
environment-related
issues
becoming
a
challenge
to our
region.
We must
address
this
difficult
problem
in a
pragmatic
manner,
said
President Mahinda
Rajapaksa
addressing
the 15th
Summit
of the
Non
Aligned
Movement
at Sharm
El Sheik
yesterday
( July
15).
“I
continue
to
believe
that
those
who
polluted
our
Planet
through
rapid
and
indiscriminate
industrialization,
and who
continue
to
pollute
in
disproportionate
quantities,
must
bear the
primary
burden
in
addressing
this
problem,”
he said.
“In our
own
region,
South
Asia,
sea-level
rise
resulting
from
climate
change
will
bring
serious
consequences
to a
number
of
countries,
including
the
inundation
of
coastal
lowlands
and the
contamination
of fresh
water
sources.
Again,
our own
region
will be
affected
by
prolonged
droughts,
shortages
of
drinking
water
and, in
some
areas,
unseasonal
rains
and
glacier
melting,
President
Rajapaksa
added.
Here are
some of
the
highlights
of the
President’s
address
:
Terrorism:
The Sri
Lankan
Nation
now
looks to
the
future
with
renewed
hope and
enthusiasm.
We have
faith
that all
our
friends
who
stood by
us in
our hour
of need
will
continue
to stand
by us
and walk
with us
in our
journey
to
develop
Sri
Lanka
for the
benefit
of all
our
people.
Displaced
Persons:
The
needs of
the
displaced
are
substantial,
and we
welcome
and
thank
all
those in
the
international
community
who have
offered
us
assistance.
I take
this
opportunity
to thank
the
United
Nations,
and the
Secretary
General
in
particular,
who
visited
Sri
Lanka
and
extended
UN
assistance.
I also
thank
those
countries
that
have
given
generously
to
benefit
our
people
who
suffered
for so
long
with no
one to
speak
for them
when
under
terrorist
domination",
NAM &
Global
Finance:
We
believe
in
self-help
and
solidarity
which
are
hallmarks
of our
movement
as well.
In this
spirit,
I would
like to
propose
that we
combine
our
substantial
collective
resources
to
establish
an
Emergency
Financing
Facility
which
could be
accessed
in
situations
of the
current
sort.
For far
too
long,
global
financial
institutions
have
been
dominated
by
traditional
economies.
The
world is
today
confronted
by a
crisis
that is
essentially
the
creation
of the
financial
markets
of
certain
developed
countries.
As a
consequence
of his
financial
crisis,
our
development
agenda
is
challenged;
our
exports
are
crippled;
our
industries
are
suffering
from a
lack of
confidence;
and we
face an
externally
induced
liquidity
shortfall.
It is
unfortunate
that
many
countries
of the
developing
world,
which
largely
with
their
own
resources
climbed
up the
ladder
of
development,
are
adversely
affected
and even
penalized
in this
manner
due to
the
global
financial
crisis
which
was not
of their
own
making".
Nam
Secretariat:
Unfortunately,
the Non
–aligned
Movement
though
existing
for over
five
decades
has not
been
able to
establish
a
permanent
Secretariat
so far.
I
strongly
proposed
that we
the
leaders
of
Non-aligned
countries
come
together
to
establish
a
permanent
Secretariat
for our
movement.
Here is
the text
of
President's
statement.
It is
with
great
pleasure
that I
address
you
today in
this
historic
land of
a great
civilization
and a
fountain-head
of the
Non-Aligned
Movement.
Let me
thank
the
Egyptian
authorities
for the
wonderful
hospitality
extended
to me
and my
delegation.
I also
wish to
thank
President
Raul
Castro
for his
efficient
and
inspiring
stewardship
of our
Movement,
through
challenging
times..
Mr.
Chairman,
Representing
a
founding
nation
of our
Movement,
I am
honored
to speak
today on
several
current
issues
of
relevance
to us.
I am
proud to
announce
that my
country
has
succeeded
in
eliminating
one of
the most
brutal
terrorist
groups
in the
world.
This
group
was not
a
liberation
movement
but an
anti-national
separatist
cult
that
glorified
violence.
Sadly
they
were
able to
propagate
their
cult of
violence
and
hatred
in some
countries
which,
for
understandable
but
unjustifiable
political
reasons,
seemed
less
than
forthright
in their
opposition
to
terrorism
that did
not seem
to
threaten
them.
Mr.
Chairman,
Terrorism
threatens
and
diminishes
all of
us, so
we are
grateful
to our
friends,
especially
in the
Non-Aligned
Movement,
who
helped
and
stood by
us
consistently
through
our most
difficult
times.
Sri
Lanka
has
consistently
condemned
terrorism
in all
its
forms
and
therefore
we are
happy at
our
success
in
defeating
terrorism
on our
soil,
and hope
that the
world,
like our
principled
friends
here
will
rejoice
with us
and not
begrudge
a
victory
they
should
hope
will be
repeated
elsewhere.
For 27
long
years my
people
were
gripped
by
mortal
fear. A
great
sigh of
relief
has now
swept
across
the
entire
nation
being
finally
released
from the
grip of
the feat
of
terrorism.
The Sri
Lankan
Nation
now
looks to
the
future
with
renewed
hope and
enthusiasm.
We have
faith
that all
our
friends
who
stood by
us in
our hour
of need
will
continue
to stand
by us
and walk
with us
in our
journey
to
develop
Sri
Lanka
for the
benefit
of all
our
people.
Our
Government
is aware
that
defeating
a
terrorist
group
does not
solve
the
underlying
grievances
of our
people.
We are
therefore
now
dealing
with
these
issues.
First
and
foremost,
we are
engaged
in
attending
to the
needs of
the
287,000
civilians
who were
held
hostage
by the
terrorists
and
liberated
by our
Security
Forces.
Our goal
is to
quickly
return
the
displaced
to their
homes
and to
restore
their
livelihoods.
The
needs of
the
displaced
are
substantial,
and we
welcome
and
thank
all
those in
the
international
community
who have
offered
us
assistance.
I take
this
opportunity
to thank
the
United
Nations,
and the
Secretary
General
in
particular
who
visited
Sri
Lanka
and
extended
UN
assistance.
I also
thank
those
countries
that
have
given
generously
to
benefit
our
people
who
suffered
for so
long
with no
one to
speak
for them
when
under
terrorist
domination.
Our
society
is a
caring
society,
and
people
from all
parts of
the
country
have
come
forward
to
assist
those
who were
displaced.
We are
confident
that our
Government,
together
with our
civil
society,
and with
the
support
of our
international
friends,
will
ensure
that all
displaced
persons
resume
their
normal
lives
very
soon,
and
partake
fully in
the
social,
political
and
economic
development
on which
my
government
has
embarked.
We have
noted
the
comments
made by
our
colleagues
with
regard
to the
use of
sanctions
against
individual
countries.
Sanctions,
whatever
the
cause,
only
punish
the
people
of that
country.
Punishing
a people
must
never be
endorsed
by the
international
community.
Mr.
Chairman,
The
world is
today
confronted
by a
crisis
that is
essentially
the
creation
of the
financial
markets
of
certain
developed
countries.
As a
consequence
of his
financial
crisis,
our
development
agenda
is
challenged;
our
exports
are
crippled;
our
industries
are
suffering
from a
lack of
confidence;
and we
face an
externally
induced
liquidity
shortfall.
It is
unfortunate
that
many
countries
of the
developing
world,
which
largely
with
their
own
resources
climbed
up the
ladder
of
development,
are
adversely
affected
and even
penalized
in this
manner
due to
the
global
financial
crisis
which
was not
of their
own
making.
The
rescue
packages
currently
being
implemented
seem to
focus
essentially
on
helping
the
economies
of
developed
countries.
This is
short-sighted,
as the
world
today is
inter-linked
and
inter-dependent
as never
before.
There
cannot
be a
satisfactory
outcome
to this
crisis
unless
these
packages
are
designed
to help
developing
country
economies
as well.
Among
other
measures,
we urge
the
consideration
of
temporary
deferment
of debt
repayment
as an
essential
short-term
initiative
to
overcome
current
difficulties
of the
affected
developing
countries.
Mr.
Chairman,
We
believe
in
self-help
and
solidarity
which
are
hallmarks
of our
movement
as well.
In this
spirit,
I would
like to
propose
that we
combine
our
substantial
collective
resources
to
establish
an
Emergency
Financing
Facility
which
could be
accessed
in
situations
of the
current
sort.
For far
too
long,
global
financial
institutions
have
been
dominated
by
traditional
economies.
Today
the
world
economy
is
different.
We must
not be
bound by
a
framework
that is
outdated
and
ineffective.
The
global
financial
architecture
must
reflect
current
circumstances,
be
democratic
and,
until
such
time, it
would be
sensible
to
establish
a
Reserve
Facility
of our
own to
assist
fellow
developing
country
in
emergency
situations.
We have
another
serious
problem
affecting
our
home,
the
Planet
Earth.
Human
activity
is
causing
the
global
climate
to
heat-up
at an
alarming
rate.
This
will
have
far-reaching
consequences
for
animal
and
plant
life and
for
human
civilization.
In our
own
region,
South
Asia,
sea-level
rise
resulting
from
climate
change
will
bring
serious
consequences
to a
number
of
countries,
including
the
inundation
of
coastal
lowlands
and the
contamination
of fresh
water
sources.
Again,
our own
region
will be
affected
by
prolonged
droughts,
shortages
of
drinking
water
and, in
some
areas,
unseasonal
rains
and
glacier
melting.
All this
will
result
in
serious
adverse
implications
for
agriculture,
fisheries
and
related
industries.
There is
a clear
possibility
of
environment-related
issues
becoming
a
challenge
to our
region.
We must
address
this
difficult
problem
in a
pragmatic
manner.
I
continue
to
believe
that
those
who
polluted
our
Planet
through
rapid
and
indiscriminate
industrialization,
and who
continue
to
pollute
in
disproportionate
quantities,
must
bear the
primary
burden
in
addressing
this
problem.
Of
course
developing
countries
must
play
their
role in
addressing
the
threat
of
climate
change;
but this
should
not be
done in
a manner
where we
would
have to
make
unfair
sacrifices,
compromising
progress
towards
poverty
alleviation
and the
prosperity
of our
people.
It is
vital in
particular
that, in
an era
of
increasing
concern
for
human
rights,
we
address
the
consequences
for the
poor of
pollution,
and
ensure
mechanisms
for
compensation
when
basic
rights,
for
life,
for
health,
for
development,
are
violated.
Developing
countries
must be
assisted
technologically
and
financially
to
follow a
different
development
model
from the
ones
which
have
resulted
in
damage
to our
Planet.
There
must be
recognition
of the
carbon
debt
owed by
developed
countries
to
developing
countries,
and the
low per
capita
carbon
emission
rate of
developing
countries.
Those
countries
which
have
managed
to
preserve
their
tree
cover
that is
now
acting
as an
Earth
Lung
should
be given
credit
for what
they
have
preserved
and
continue
to
nature.
Mr.
Chairman,
As the
current
Chair of
SAARC,
the
South
Asian
Association
for
Regional
Cooperation,
Sri
Lanka
has
taken
the lead
in
mobilizing
our
region
to
address
the most
acute
challenges
that
currently
face our
region,
namely
terrorism
and the
impact
of the
global
financial
crisis.
Our
collective
vision
has
since
resonated
in many
international
fora.
SAARC
which is
a small
group of
countries
has a
permanent
Secretariat
of their
own.
Unfortunately,
the Non
–aligned
Movement
though
existing
for over
five
decades
has not
been
able to
establish
a
permanent
Secretariat
so far.
I
strongly
proposed
that we
the
leaders
of
Non-aligned
countries
come
together
to
establish
a
permanent
Secretariat
for our
movement.
Mr.
Chairman,
Excellencies,
Ladies
and
Gentlemen,,
On this
occasion,
let us
re-dedicate
our
selves
to work
in
solidarity
towards;
Peace
and
security
of
societies
where
any
manifestation
of
terrorism
will
never be
allowed,
and the
sovereignty
of our
nation
is
promoted
and
reserved;
A
financial
architecture
and
facilities
that are
specifically
focused
on the
needs of
developing
countries;
and
A green
planet
with
equity
best
responsibilities
and
benefits.
May the
Noble
Triple
Gem
Bless
You all.
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