Excerpts from the Prime Minister's inaugural address: One Two Three

Reflecting on Cambodia's recent transition to peace, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen highlighted domestic rehabilitation efforts to eradicate poverty, maintain stability, improve living standards, promote sustainable development, and integrate into the regional and global economy. He elaborated on national initiatives to ensure the rational use of natural resources, such as: new legislation, including creation of a national biodiversity strategy and climate change action plan; establishment of various ministries to administer natural resources; and efforts to combat corruption in sectors such as forestry. He described the links between landmines, poverty, environmental degradation and social equity, and outlined lessons learned such as: peace and stability are determining factors for success of sustainable development programmes; civil society can positively contribute to achieving sustainable development objectives; NGOs and media are important partners; technical and financial assistance from donors should have emphasize on human resource development; sustainable development requires a new model based on human, not monetary, values that benefit the majority and increase well-being to an acceptable level; and that there is no uniform model of development.

Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of ESCAP and UN Under Secretary-general, welcoming delegates, noted the Region's various preparatory meetings, outlined some of the region's sustainable development gains and challenges, and stressed poverty, globalization and emerging social issues as the Commission's future priority agenda, which will be further informed by the Regional Platform for Action.

On behalf of Nitin Desai, Under Secretary-general for Economic and Social Affairs, Hiroko Morita-Lou, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, pointed out that implementation of sustainable development actions have often proven less elusive and more successful at the regional level. She highlighted four main areas where the WSSD must show results: making sustainable development operational; managing challenges of globalization; securing financial resources and technology; and managing conservation of natural resources such as freshwater, oceans, soils and forests.

Kim Hak-Su, ESCAP Executive Secretary presented a statement on regional sustainable development policy, urging the promotion of economic and social development without undermining natural resources. He highlighted five priority areas for sustainable development: reject poverty as an acceptable human condition; maximize benefits and minimize adverse effects of globalization; conserve biodiversity and manage natural resources; improve governance and participation of government and civil society; and provide the financial resources for sustainable development.

Statement by Hama Arba Diallo, Executive Secretary, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, said progress in sustainable development had been constrained by intervening factors, including the economic slowdown. Recalling the Convention's origin from the Rio process, he elaborated on progress in UNCCD implementation, noting this region's achievements and general implementation constraints, and noted the relevance to the CCD of the Kitakyushu deliberations on land degradation.

Vijai Sharma, UNEP, gives a briefing on the Clean Development Mechanism including a discussion of the negotiations backdrop, the nature and scope of the Kyoto Mechanisms, the Clean Development Mechanism, related institutional arrangements and further work. Vijai Sharma with Shafqat Kakakhel, UNEP Deputy Executive Director (left)