Naseem attends Climate Vulnerable Forum

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem, on an invitation from the Bangladesh Foreign Minister visited Dhaka from 13-14 November 2011 to attend the 3^rd Ministerial Meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum organized by the Government of Bangladesh.

During the Forum, which was inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Minister Naseem delivered a keynote address.

During his key note address Minister Naseem stated that: “Today, conventional wisdom suggests that Copenhagen was a failure. I beg to differ. In my opinion, the Copenhagen Accord was not an admission of defeat, but the first step on the road towards a solution – a solution based on the vision laid down in the Male Declaration. That vision was simple: that global warming will only be halted when States realize the futility of arguing over whom should cut emissions, and begin competing to become the leaders of the new industrial revolution – a revolution based not on the finite power of coal and oil, but on the infinite power of the sun, sea and wind”

Minister highlighted that it was the hope of President Nasheed that this year’s meeting will achieve on to remind the world of the plight of the most climate vulnerable countries and in so doing confront the growing sense of apathy and re energize the international community act.

Furthermore Minister also called on to “send out a  strong progressive message to COP 17 in Durban encouraging the UNFCCC to establish a new legal framework on climate change which encourages and helps states take positive action, in other words to invest in low carbon technology, rather than only demanding that they accept negative obligations- namely to cut emission”.

In his statement Minister also stressed on the challenges and difficulties faced by developing countries in shifting to a low carbon development pathway, and to give guidance to the international community regarding how it can best held and support that shift.

The Forum also adopted the Dhaka declaration pronouncing clearly on Climate vulnerable countries common aspirations prior to the UNFCCC climate Conference (COP 17) meeting to be held in Durban, South Africa from 28-29 November 2011. Nineteen Climate Vulnerable countries signed the Climate Vulnerable Forum 2011 Dhaka Declaration. Countries which signed the Dhaka declaration include, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam

CVF was founded at the initiative of the Maldives government just prior to the major United Nations Copenhagen Summit in late 2009. It was a unique new forum designed to amplify the voice of world most climate vulnerable nations.

Minister was accompanied by Ahmed Sareer, High Commissioner of Maldives in Bangladesh and Mr. Marc Limon, Counsellor, Maldives Mission in Geneva.