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Friday, April 30, 2010 - 9.45 GMT |
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President returns after a successful Summit |
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to the island early afternoon today (30 April) after the successful conclusion of the 16th SAARC Summit in Thimphu, Bhutan.
The Summit concluded yesterday (29 April) with the adoption of the Joint Declaration and Thimphu Statement on Climate Change.
The theme of the 16th SAARC Summit was 'Towards a greener and happy South Asia' whereby the SAARC leaders vowed commitment to make South Asia a world leader in low-carbon technologies and renewable energy.
Speaking at the Summit on climate change, President Rajapaksa stated that 'the impact of this phenomenon is of acute and common concern for all of us in the South Asian region, from the snow capped mountains of Nepal and Bhutan to the sandy beaches of Maldives and Sri Lanka'.
'The South Asian voice on this issue guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be strongly heard in all international fora. Those in the developed world who have historically contributed to the climate change must now bear the lion share of the burden to mitigate this phenomenon', the President stated.
The Convention on Cooperation on Environment was signed at this Summit which cover an important area that has 'a direct impact on the lives of our peoples'.
The Himalayan glaciers are receding at an alarming speed. Our mountains are less majestic, awe inspiring and pristine than they were earlier. More than one-tenth of the world’s population depends directly on its waters for survival. The rising temperature has not only melted the fresh snow and stripped further layers from past centuries, they now look more and more like a high wall of grey and jagged outcrop of rocks, fragile and crestfallen, stated Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley.
We need to change and mend their ways, acknowledge that life as we live is propelling us toward self-destruction, he said.
We need to realise that high GDP targets are achieved at the high price of social dislocation and environmental devastation and dispel the notion that unlimited economic growth equates well-being. A more holistic model and indicator is needed to set human society on a sustainable path, the Prime Minister further stated.
I am happy to announce the setting up of an ‘India Endowment for Climate Change in South Asia’ to help Member States in meeting urgent adaptation and capacity building needs. I would also propose the setting up of Climate Innovation Centres in South Asia to develop sustainable energy technologies based on indigenous resource endowments, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhe stated.
“Global warming and climate change have already impacted our nations with melting of the Himalayan glaciers, rising sea level, erratic precipitation, land degradation, desertification and salinity,” stated Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina.
As Bangladesh is the most vulnerable country to the global warming, Sheikh Hasina said the adverse geophysical changes with increasing frequency of cyclones and floods have been retarding the economic growth, poverty alleviation efforts, and millennium development goals (MDGs). “To face these challenges, I believe, a holistic approach is imperative at regional and global levels,” she stated.
The determination of the leaders here-present to work together and cooperate in a large and increasingly diverse range of fields; to pool resources and expertise in areas where common action is necessary or beneficial. This determination has been clearly in evidence during this Summit where we have signed new SAARC agreements on trade in services and environmental cooperation; and have agreed the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, stated Maldives' President Mohamed Nasheed.
We must work towards concluding Regional Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement on Energy Cooperation. Saarc should be a catalyst in harnessing indigenous sources of energy. I can visualize the benefit to our region from Bhutan’s hydro-electric potential,” Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said.
Today, an ever important challenge to South Asia and the world at large is how to deal with the impact of climate change on the habitat and livelihoods of our peoples. Addressing the multifaceted challenges of climate change is an imperative, stated President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai.
Nepal Prime Minister Madhav Kumar has underlined the need for collective efforts of SAARC-member countries to face the increasing challenges of climate change.
In his inaugural address to the 16th SAARC summit he said that Nepal will be hosting a ministerial level conference of the countries badly affected by the climate change later this year to discuss and chart out strategies to combat the challenges.
Himalayan countries are most affected by natural disasters like ice melting, river pollution caused by climate change directly affecting over one billion population of the region, he stated.
He further said concerted actions are needed at national, regional and international level to face the increasing threats.
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