Report: Jaxu
President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon yesterday afternoon. The meeting took place at the Bali Suite of the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC).
Secretary-General Ban congratulated President Gayoom on his thought-provoking speech at the Opening of the High-Level Segment of the UN Climate Change Conference. He noted that the President was speaking from his heart, and that his inspiring speeches proved his long-standing personal commitment to promoting environmental issues.
The UN Secretary-General spoke on the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States such as the Maldives to climate change and sea-level rise, and noted the importance of cooperation among all Parties to the UNFCCC to ensure that SIDS were saved from the impending dangers posed by climate change. He stressed the important role of SIDS in shaping climate change diplomacy.
President Gayoom praised Secretary-General Ban for his commitment to solving the climate change issue, and emphasized a number of important steps that he had taken in recent months. In particular, he stressed the importance of the Bali Conference and the High-Level Meeting held in New York in September.
President Gayoom said that his first speech at the UN General Assembly was delivered in 1987, and that much had changed in the climate debate since. He noted the keen interest being shown by politicians, journalists, activists, NGOs and businesses from all parts of the world.
President noted that the Maldives would be among the first victims of climate change, and expressed concern over increasing climate-related problems in the country. He also briefed the Secretary-General on the recent “Human Dimension of Global Climate Change” conference in Male’.
President also spoke on the ongoing work to recover fully from the effects of the 2004 Tsunami, and the need to bridge the current funding gap of over US$ 77 million.
The UN Secretary-General highlighted that the Bali Conference, with approximately 14,000 participants from all walks of life, was the single largest climate change meeting ever. He noted that people were now feeling the effects of climate change, and, hence, countries were more committed to find a speedy solution. He said that there was now a positive atmosphere, and that he was receiving a lot of support from many areas in his endeavors to tackle climate change. He added that the positive atmosphere must, however, be translated to reality. Further, he said that he was reasonably convinced that the Bali Roadmap would become a reality.
President Gayoom highlighted that Australia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol was a very important step. He noted the importance of time-bound milestones for the next two years, to ensure that a post-2009 agreement would become a reality.
President Gayoom also focused on the decision to graduate the Maldives from the LDCs list in 2011, and emphasized that the three-year smooth transition period that begins 2008 would be an important period in national development.
Secretary-General Ban congratulated the President on the Maldives’ graduation.The UN Secretary-General spoke on the reputation of the Maldives as a popular tourist destination, and noted the importance of key economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries being developed in a sustainable manner.
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