Coordinated Action Urgently Needed for Asia-Pacific Region to Deal with Food, Energy and Financial Crises and Climate Change
10 Dec 2008
Asia and the Pacific need urgent, comprehensive and coordinated action to deal with the food, energy and financial crises, and climate change – as the convergence of the crises will undermine the region’s development gains and its future prospects.
That was one of the key messages from a high-level meeting which ended today in Denpasar, Indonesia, aimed at finding strategies and solutions to prevent the present crisis becoming a development emergency. The recommendations are contained in a document – known as the Bali Outcome Document – which will be used to provide a framework for regional action in handling the triple crises.
The High-level Regional Policy Dialogue on “The Food-Fuel Crisis and Climate Change – Reshaping the Development Agenda,” jointly organized by the Government of Indonesia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), attracted a wide-ranging group, including policy-makers, finance experts, civil society leaders, climate change specialists, private sector entrepreneurs and agriculture innovators. The two-day event was the first time that the issues of the food, energy and financial crises, and climate change, were addressed in a comprehensive and integrated manner in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The Bali Outcome Document emphasizes the need to strengthen regional cooperation among member countries and share experiences in dealing with this complex issues,” said the Secretary-General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Hasanuddin Ibrahim, at the meeting’s closing. “By adopting this document, we have a common direction on the strategies and policies to cope with the complex and interrelated issues on food-fuel-financial crisis.”
He added that the policies outlined in the document need firm commitment from top leaders of all member countries along with private sector, academia, and civil society organizations; as well as the continuous support and facilitation of international and regional organizations such as ESCAP, the regional arm of the United Nations.
ESCAP’s Executive Secretary, UN Under-Secretary-General Noeleen Heyzer, said she would take the Bali Outcome Document to the heads of state and governments of ESCAP’s 62 members, and to all global and regional initiatives that tackle the crises and climate change. In addition, the document will also be used to inform various inter-governmental regional processes, including the ASEAN-UN Summit in March, 2009, and the ministerial discussions scheduled to be held during ESCAP’s 65th Commission Session in April, 2009.
“I attach great importance to the Bali Outcome Document and I know its relevance in transforming the life of the people in the region,” Dr. Heyzer said. “I note with great satisfaction that the need for regional cooperation in all areas of concern came out as a major modality for acting together in dealing with the threats to development.”
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Source: UN ESCAP
The High-level Regional Policy Dialogue on “The Food-Fuel Crisis and Climate Change – Reshaping the Development Agenda,” jointly organized by the Government of Indonesia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), attracted a wide-ranging group, including policy-makers, finance experts, civil society leaders, climate change specialists, private sector entrepreneurs and agriculture innovators. The two-day event was the first time that the issues of the food, energy and financial crises, and climate change, were addressed in a comprehensive and integrated manner in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The Bali Outcome Document emphasizes the need to strengthen regional cooperation among member countries and share experiences in dealing with this complex issues,” said the Secretary-General of Indonesia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Hasanuddin Ibrahim, at the meeting’s closing. “By adopting this document, we have a common direction on the strategies and policies to cope with the complex and interrelated issues on food-fuel-financial crisis.”
He added that the policies outlined in the document need firm commitment from top leaders of all member countries along with private sector, academia, and civil society organizations; as well as the continuous support and facilitation of international and regional organizations such as ESCAP, the regional arm of the United Nations.
ESCAP’s Executive Secretary, UN Under-Secretary-General Noeleen Heyzer, said she would take the Bali Outcome Document to the heads of state and governments of ESCAP’s 62 members, and to all global and regional initiatives that tackle the crises and climate change. In addition, the document will also be used to inform various inter-governmental regional processes, including the ASEAN-UN Summit in March, 2009, and the ministerial discussions scheduled to be held during ESCAP’s 65th Commission Session in April, 2009.
“I attach great importance to the Bali Outcome Document and I know its relevance in transforming the life of the people in the region,” Dr. Heyzer said. “I note with great satisfaction that the need for regional cooperation in all areas of concern came out as a major modality for acting together in dealing with the threats to development.”
Read More...
Source: UN ESCAP
