ASEM conference on climate change response opens in Can Tho
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) conference on climate change response toward sustainability officially commenced in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on June 19.
Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh speaks at the conference
The event aims to implement Viet Nam’s initiative adopted at the 13th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Naypyidaw, Myanmar in November 2017, and patronized by seven ASEM member countries, including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Netherlands, and Myanmar.
Addressing the conference, Deputy PM and FM Pham Binh Minh affirmed that the challenges posed by climate change are hindering the efforts to improve the people’s quality of life and the sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development, while directly affecting the realization of development goals and security of each country, region and the entire globe.
As an important inter-regional forum gathering 53 Eurasian members, the main driver of economic growth and innovation in the 21st century, ASEM has the full capability and responsibility for pioneering in realizing its commitments to climate change response for sustainable development, he said.
Minh stated that as one of the countries seriously affected by climate change and rising sea level, Viet Nam is taking the lead in implementing the international climate agreements within the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change, especially the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
He highly appreciated the strategic partnerships on climate change adaptation and the effective cooperation and support programs, in terms of finance and technology transfer, that many ASEM members have offered to Viet Nam.
The deputy PM affirmed that these programs have substantively assisted Viet Nam in the sustainable management and use of water resources, the improvement of climate change supervision and adaptation capabilities, and response to the rising sea level and saline intrusion in the Lower Mekong Basin, while enhancing Viet Nam’s ability to contribute to the joint efforts of the international community.
ASEM members sharing the same initiative, such as Australia, Belgium, Myanmar, and Denmark, highly appreciated Viet Nam’s initiative to organize the conference, which aimed to discuss the issue of climate change associated with sustainable development. Some emphasized that ASEM should play a pioneering role in contributing to the global effort to respond to climate change and implement the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The ASEM members also shared the serious challenges that Viet Nam, especially its 13 Mekong Delta provinces, is facing in response to climate change, agreeing that the developed members should support the developing members, including Viet Nam, in climate change response.
Shortly after the opening ceremony of the conference, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh chaired the opening of an exhibition entitled “Climate change – challenges and Asia-Europe cooperation opportunities”.
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