Highlights
from Monday, 26 February |
Opening
Session: |
On
the first day of the consultation, participants convened in a Plenary
session to hear opening remarks and a keynote address from The Hon. Dato
Law Hieng Dieng, Minister of Science, Technology and the Environment.
The meeting then continued with presentations and panel discussions on
current activities, case studies and projects related to InterLinkages.
UNU started the presentations along with a panel discussion on
current activities, case studies and projects related to inter-linkages.
Four working groups were then convened to address: national and regional
approaches; a case study for the Pacific Islands; a case study for the
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN); and multi-stakeholder
partnership and participation.
|
Philip
Mathews (left), Assistant Director-General, Institute of Strategic
and International Studies (ISIS) on behalf of the
Chair and CEO of ISIS Malaysia, extended a warm welcome to participants.
Emphasizing that ISIS is honored to be associated with environment
issues at all levels, he noted that collaboration by the many
organizations involved in this process show that the
Consultation/Workshop is a good example of inter-linkages at work
Philip Mathew's opening statement in Real Audio
|
Kazuhiko
Takemoto (right), Counselor, Ministry of the Environment, Japan,
welcomed participants and expressed satisfaction with the workshop's
high attendance. He highlighted United Nations University's (UNU) organization of the 1999
conference on inter-linkages and noted its objective of effective
environment management through development of integrated mechanisms.
Kazuhiko
Takemoto's opening statement in Real Audio
|
![](/crs/interlinkages/interlink2/pix/1raman2-s.jpg)
Raman Letchumanan (left), Assistant Director, Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat emphasized
the need to reassess whether the growing number of MEAs is servicing our
purpose.
Raman
Letchumanan's opening remarks in Real Audio
|
Zakri
Hamid (right), Director UNU Institute of Advanced Studies welcomed
the participants of the Regional Consultation on Inter-Linkages on
behalf of Hans van Ginkel, Rector, UNU as well as thanked its host and
supporters. UNU gives great significance to issues concerning the
sustainable development and the environment. One area of interest is
the synergy and coordination of Inter-Linkages between the growing
number of MEAs. He also acknowledged the Inter-Linkages concept as a
strategy that would strengthen existing environmental agreements and the
importance of further bringing the concept into mainstream thinking.
Prof.
Dato Dr. Zakri Hamid's opening statement in Real Audio
|
The
Hon. Dato Law Hieng Ding's opening statement in Real Audio
The
Hon. Dato Law Hieng Ding, Minister of Science, Technology and the
Environment, Malaysia, welcomed all participants and wished them a
fruitful and memorable stay. He underscored the complexity of issues
addressed by MEAs and noted that proliferation of such agreements has
caused overlaps and inconsistencies. Emphasizing the importance Malaysia
attaches to environmental governance, he noted Malaysia is currently
formulating new biosafety laws and is working to develop synergies with other laws
relevant to biosafety.
|
Panel Discussions: Current Activities,
Case Studies and Projects Related to Inter-Linkages |
Jerry Velasquez, UNU (Left)
delivering his presentation on "The UNU Inter-Linkages
Initiative.
Listen
to the presentation on "The UNU Inter-Linkages
Initiative" in Real Audio
|
![](/crs/interlinkages/interlink2/pix/1panel1-s.jpg)
(Right photo) The members of the panel on
Current Activities, Case Studies and Projects Related to Inter-Linkages,
(L-R) Lal Kurukulasuriya, UNEP, Lars Nordberg, Economic
Commission of Europe (ECE), Kazuhiko
Takemoto, Chair, Peter Gilruth, UNDP, Walter Reid,
Millenium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), Bulat Yessekin, Environmental Center for
Sustainable Development of Central Asia
Listen to presentation from the members of the panel on
Current Activities, Case Studies and Projects Related to Inter-Linkages:
1. Walter
Reid, MA
2. Peter
Gilruth, UNDP
3. Lars
Nordberg, ECE
4. Bulat Yessekin, Environmental Center for
Sustainable Development of Central Asia
5. Lal Kurukulasuriya, UNEP |
Working Groups: |
WG1: National Regional Approaches |