Dr. Shakeela, participates in the High Level Fourth Regional 3R Forum in Asia

Minister of Environment and Energy, Dr. Mariyam shakeela has participated in the High Level Fourth Regional 3R Forum in Asia, held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 18 – 20 March, 2013. The minister was accompanied by the Assistant Director of Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Ahmed Murthaza. This high level meeting is a strategic and knowledge platform for sharing experiences and disseminating among Asian countries best practices, policy instruments, tools, and technologies, in relation to various aspects of the 3Rs. The overall goal of the meeting is to achieve low carbon and sound material cycle societies in Asia and to set in motion a regional mechanism to address 3R issues, needs and priorities in Asian countries, including social issues and emerging issues of concern in waste management. The main objective of the meeting was to address how 3R could effectively contribute towards the implementation of Rio+20 outcomes – The Future We Want in relevant sectors/areas.

During the meeting the minister has made brief account on the status of waste management in the Maldives. She further stressed the major challenges and barriers with regard to good waste management practices in the Maldives. When addressing about challenges she iterated that since the tourist arrival per year has almost tripled the Maldives’ population, the Maldives is in need of international support.

The meeting was ended by the adoption of the “Ha Noi 3R Declaration – Sustainable 3R Goals for Asia and Pacific for 2013 – 2023. During the adoption of the Declaration, the minister has strongly argued the importance of involving all of the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), rather than giving a particular attention to only pacific islands. Hence the Declaration was finally adopted with this amendment proposed by the minister.

In the first day of the Forum, a bilateral meeting between the Japanese Government and the Government of the Maldives was held. The meeting was called by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Senior Vice Minister of the Environment of Japan Mr. Shinji Inoue was the head of delegation from the Japan followed by the Senior Minister for Global Environmental Affairs of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan Dr. Ryutaro Yatsu and several other senior officials of the Ministry. The Maldives delegation was headed by the Minister of Environment and Energy Dr. Mariyam Shakeela and accompanied by the Assistant Director of the Environmental Protection Agency Mr. Ahmed Murthaza. During this bilateral meeting Dr. Shakeela has expressed sincere appreciation and gratitude, on behalf of the Maldives’ Government towards the Japanese Aid to the Maldives. Mr. Inoue, the Senior Vice Minister of the Environment of Japan appreciated the Government of the Maldives for promoting Japanese Aid to the Maldives in various international platforms.

Several issues were discussed in the meeting. However, the major issue discussed was on the waste management. Meeting was concluded by declaring the Senior Minister of the Environment Dr. Yatsu, assistance on a waste management project for the Maldives.