Highlighting several
critical environment and natural resource
issues for the Phnom Penh region, the Phnom
Penh Regional Platform was adopted by government
ministers and representatives from throughout
Asia and the Pacific today at a meeting
in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
The platform will be submitted to the global
preparatory process for the World Summit
on Sustainable Development to be held in
Johannesburg, South Africa in September
2002.
The
three day preparatory meeting recognized the need for
policy and institutional reform, capacity, building,
informed decision-making, and technology transfer in
the Phnom Penh region. Meeting participants agreed
that the need for reform in the region is critical
even though significant achievements have been made
in many sectors. Phnom Penh faces continual deterioration
of its environment as well as a rising number of poor.
United Nations
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (UN ESCAP) Executive Secretary
Kim Hak-Su said in a statement, "The Phnom
Penh Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia
and the Pacific that this meeting has adopted constitutes
the region's collective message to the World Summit
on Sustainable Development. We must now ensure
timely and appropriate actions are taken for the
region to attain its goals."
A common theme
that surfaced throughout the meeting was the
need to address the relationship between
environment, poverty and trade. "We must ensure
that the central issue of poverty is meaningfully
addressed and the process of globalization happens
within the limits of our natural resource base
and its benefits are shared equitably," said
United Nations Environment Programme Deputy Executive
Director Shafqat Kakakhel.
According to a
report released at the meeting, several regional
initiatives have been identified
relating to "poverty reduction, cleaner production
and sustainable energy, land management and biodiversity
conservation, protection and management of and
access to freshwater resources, oceans, marine
resources and sustainable development of small
island states, atmosphere, climate change and capacity
building."
The three day meeting
was organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),
the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), UN ESCAP, and UNEP. "Financing
sustainable development has been the focus of ADB
lending and technical assistance," said Rolf
Zelius, Chief of Environment and Social Development
for the Asian Development Bank. "ADB has been
assisting its developing member countries in meeting
their communities to the Earth Summit. ADB also
sees the importance to build countries' capacity
to ensure sustainable development using their available
resources, addressing relevant policy adjustments,
as well as to involve private sector participation."
The platform was adopted after three days of meetings
and negotiations involving over 500 government
and civil society representatives.
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