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MINISTER’S KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT THE OPENING OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE THEME AT THE SHANGHAI WORLD EXPO ON 8 OCTOBER 2010, SOUTH AFRICAN PAVILION IN SHANGHAI, PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Environmental Panorama
International
October of 2010


PROTOCOL
The Consul-General of South Africa Mr Vika Khumalo,
The SA Pavilion Director Ms Grace Khoza,
Distinguished guests from various state institutions in the People’s Republic of China,
Representatives from other African countries gathered here today,
Senior Officials from South Africa,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to you all to the occasion of the Official Opening of the Environment and Climate Change Theme at the South African Pavilion here at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Your presence here today is truly appreciated. South Africa’s participation here at the Shanghai Expo signifies the maturation of a friendly and strong relationship between our two nations. The Shanghai World Expo is of global significance, providing a unique opportunity for us to bring South Africa to the world and engage with other countries on this formidable stage. Congratulations to the People’s Republic of China on the successful hosting of this spectacular event.

Let us take a moment to reflect on the overall theme for the Expo namely, “Better Cities: Better Life” and what this means in a global context from a sustainable development perspective. Just last month, leaders of the world met in New York to review the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs as we know them. We came away with the realization that there is still much more that needs to be done globally if we are to attain these targets, which our heads of state committed to ten years ago. Working together we can achieve more and the “Better Life” which so many peoples aspire to.

The South African theme for our pavilion is “South Africa: The rise of a modern economy - Ke nako”. “Ke nako” literally translated from Sesotho, one of our officials languages means “it is time”. And yes indeed distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is time! It is time for decisive action to safeguard our environment for present and future generations and to combat the ravages of run-away climate change. Hence the appropriateness of the theme for this month “Environment and Climate Change” which bears testimony to the pressing need for us join forces and act decisively and to act now!

South Africa is moving “Towards a resource efficient, low carbon and pro- employment growth path”. We are keen to pursue “labour intensive green growth” that contributes to sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.

During the course of this month, we will afford you information about our unique biodiversity and natural heritage, as South Africa is blessed with a rich and diverse abundance of animal and plant species. We will share with you our pioneering transfrontier conservation work in Southern Africa, which is about conservation beyond the borders of our country, an important step towards playing a meaningful role in conserving the natural estate of the region.

Being a water-scarce country, South Africa faces a challenge of water quantity. Climate change may worsen this situation. Through innovative conservation measures, we would like to share our experiences in tackling these multiple challenges through rainwater harvesting and desalination as well as water recycling.

Air quality is an important and challenging environmental issue particularly in urban and industrial areas not only in South Africa, but in some of the developing countries. In this regard we are taking concrete steps through the implementation measures prescribed in our national air quality legislation, innovation and exploration of cleaner technologies. Furthermore we are proud to say that we have an active Oceanographic and Atmospheric Science Research programme, with research stations in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica.

Climate change is one of the most serious and urgent global challenges, which demands a global solution taking into account different historical responsibilities we have for current levels of emissions, and the common responsibility we share for the future. As a responsible global citizen South Africa is committed to contribute its fair share to the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is also identifying, in detail, the current and future impacts of climate change to inform the formulation of adaptation strategies and programmes.

On the 6th December 2009, President Zuma announced that South Africa would take nationally appropriate mitigation actions to deviate its emissions trajectory relative to Business As Usual scenario based on current emissions levels depending on the provision of financial support, technology availability, transfer and capacity building. We believe that implementing nationally appropriate adaptation and mitigation programmes within our respective countries is vitally important. We are here to share experiences and best practices in this regard and my colleague, the Minister of Science and Technology will be holding a joint seminar on this issue later this month.

South Africa and China are members of the BASIC Group of countries together with India and Brazil. The BASIC Grouping is emerging as one of the most important formations in the climate change negotiations. As like-minded developing countries in the International Climate Change arena, where the stakes are high and the pressure to find a fair and equitable solution is becoming more and more pressing, we are very pleased to have China as a partner in advancing the position of the developing world on climate change issues.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you will be pleased to know that a little more than six weeks ago during the Presidential visit to China, the Governments of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa signed the Memorandum of Understanding thereby formalizing our cooperation relationship in the environmental field. The MoU creates a platform for exchange of expertise, enhance our capacities to perform environmental monitoring, compliance and enforcement, as well as promote environmental technology for mutual benefit for the people of both our countries.

Since our government’s decision to participate in the Shanghai World Expo, we have worked tirelessly to showcase the diversity and the attractive features of South Africa to the world. The putting together of the Environment and Climate Change Theme represents the culmination of much hard work on the part of the officials from the South African Departments of Environmental Affairs, Science and Technology, Water Affairs as well as department of Energy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the government of the Peoples Republic of China for so graciously hosting us and providing us with this opportunity to showcase our beautiful country on a global stage here in the wonderful city of Shanghai.

As this pavilion represents a little piece of South Africa I would like to in closing repeat a Confucius saying which states: "friends have come from afar, how happy we are!" With that said, It gives me great pleasure to declare the Environment & Climate Change Theme at the South African Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo officially open.
I THANK YOU.

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ADDRESS BY DEPUTY MINISTER REJOICE MABUDAFHASI AT THE HIGH LEVEL MINISTERIAL SEGMENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP 10) HELD IN NAGOYA, JAPAN

27 OCTOBER 2010

South Africa wishes to join the other delegates in thanking the Japanese government and its people for the warm welcome and hospitality we are receiving in this beautiful City of Nagoya. It is indeed a great honor and privilege for me to address this panel, which forms part of the High Level Segment of the tenth Conference of Parties (COP 10).

South Africa’s vision is to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity across the region and to sustain the country’s economic and social development in harmony with the developmental, spiritual and cultural values of its people. The biological heritage that South Africa as a mega-biodiverse country possesses, coupled by its associated traditional/indigenous knowledge developed by South Africans on the use and application of these resources, constitutes a critical element that underpins a large proportion of our economy and human well being.

Many of the urban and rural peoples directly depend on our mutually supporting natural and cultural heritage assets for jobs, food, shelter, medicines and spiritual well being.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development and subsequent COP decisions called on us to develop an international regime on ABS. The time has now come for us to take decisive action that will give effect to the third objective of the CBD. It is in the interest of the global community and future generations that South Africa calls for the finalisation here in Nagoya, of a legally binding Protocol on ABS.

The Protocol on ABS must remain balanced and comprehensive enough to embrace the issues and core principles of Access, Benefit Sharing and Compliance. It must provide for the recognition of the traditional knowledge and most importantly the need for a strong compliance mechanism with possible sanctions and remedies in the case of non-compliance to the Protocol.

Chair, the somewhat gloomy scenario of biodiversity conservation globally as presented by the third Global Biodiversity Outlook, indicates that our failure to reach the 2010 targets were as a result of among others, limited financial, human and technical capacity and the lack of economic valuation of biodiversity.

It is therefore incumbent upon us as a global community that shares biodiversity as a common heritage to take this review as a wake-up call for urgent action. Such action, Chairperson, should involve targeted interventions that will remove these and other identified obstacles.

Chair, we note that the draft post 2010 CBD strategic plan is comprehensive and ambitious enough to address those obstacles that were largely responsible for our failure to meet the 2010 targets. However, successful implementation of the post 2010 strategy will depend largely on the commitment to predictable, adequate, timely and increased funding and resources.

Chair, while it may be important to explore the policy options on innovative financial mechanism, we must admit that most of these proposed mechanisms remain unclear especially in the absence of clear principles and guidelines.

We note that some of these mechanisms have bad precedence and that most of these proposals appear market-based with potential to replace the already inadequate existing mechanisms. We therefore wish to emphasise that these proposed mechanisms should not increase the burdens of developing countries and further plunge them into spirals of debt.

Chair, South Africa recognizes the role of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. To attain this, we cannot over-emphasize the role of indigenous knowledge, the role of women, youth, and that of the indigenous and local communities.

Furthermore, South Africa is convinced that these stakeholders are crucial in contributing to the achievement of the CBD’s objectives, strategic plan and a range of its programs of work.

The destruction of our natural environment and the associated impacts that it brings such as biodiversity loss, climate change and desertification has an ever greater impact on vulnerable groups and on women and children in particular.

Access to relevant biodiversity information, such as made accessible through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) of which South Africa is an active participant, can assist women and men from communities in becoming more resilient, improve their livelihoods, protect the natural environment and secure a better future.

Chair, the synergies between climate change and biodiversity are obvious. South Africa recognizes the need for CBD to provide biodiversity relevant information to the processes under the UNFCCC, while respecting the differences in their legal mandates and composition.

Chair, South Africa has a Biofuels Industrial Strategy which takes into account the possible impacts of biofuel production and use on biodiversity. In this regard, South Africa would favour a precautionary approach which is characterized by continued research to address the scientific uncertainties, recognition of socio-economic conditions such as food, water, and land tenure and energy security.

We welcome the ongoing process that is underway pertaining to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). South Africa notes that the envisioned platform shall seek to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services, long term human well being and sustainable development. South Africa would like that we rely on science in decision making.

Conclusion

Finally, Chairperson, our expectation is that that Nagoya should provide a firm commitment and support mechanisms that should promote capacity building, technology development and transfer, South-South cooperation, resource mobilization and effectively address biodiversity loss.

Distinguished delegates, the satisfactory outcome of these negotiations in the context of a shared new vision for the next decade will send a positive message to our commitment to humanity, particularly the poor and the vulnerable. The journey from Johannesburg which started at the dawn of the millennium culminating in the International Year of Biodiversity has provided important lessons for us all. Let us take the hard lessons learnt on this road and recommit ourselves to the global sustainable agenda.

Thank you

Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 10), 18-21 October 2010, Nagoya, Japan.

The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. It entered into force on 29 December 1993 and currently has 193 Parties (as of 12 October 2010). The principal objectives of the Convention, to be pursued in accordance with its relevant provisions, are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding. South Africa ratified the Convention in 1995.

Conference of the Parties
The governing body of the Convention is the Conference of the Parties, established under Article 23. Its key functions are to keep under review the implementation of the Convention and to steer its development. Other important functions of the Conference of the Parties include adoption of the budget, the consideration of national reports, the adoption of protocols or annexes and the development of guidance to the financial mechanism. A list of functions of the COP under the Convention is set out in Article 23. To date there has been nine meetings of the Conference of the Parties.

The tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from 18 to 29 October 2010. It will include a High-Level Ministerial Segment organised by the host country in consultation with the Secretariat and the Bureau. The High Level Segment will take place from 27 to 29 October 2010 at the Nagoya Congress Centre in the City of Nagoya. The High-Level Segment will be preceded on 24-26 October by a Summit on Cities and Biodiversity as well as a meeting on Parliamentarians and biodiversity. A meeting of the heads of bilateral and multilateral donors agencies will be held on 26 October as well as a meeting of private donors meeting. A High-Level dialogue on business and biodiversity will be held in the evening of 28 October in conjunction with MESSE Nagoya.

The Republic of South Africa will be participating in the tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties. A national delegation comprising of officials from the Departments of Environmental Affairs; Science and Technology; Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; International Relations and Cooperation; Science and Technology; Parliament; South Africa National Biodiversity Institute; South African National Parks; Provincial Governments and Local Municipalities. The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs will lead the delegation.

The following are key issues for South Africa at the tenth meeting: International Regime on Access and Benefit-sharing, Progress toward the 2010 biodiversity target, including national reports and the Global Biodiversity Outlook, Revised Strategic Plan, biodiversity target and indicators, Operations of the Convention, including programme of work for the period 2011-2022 and periodicity of meetings of the Conference of the Parties, Strategy for resource mobilization, Biofuels and biodiversity, and Invasive alien species.

The tenth meeting has been preceded by the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety which took place from 11-15 October 2010. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which is a Protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity, is an international agreement which aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology that may have adverse effects on biological diversity, taking also into account risks to human health. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 and entered into force on 11 September 2003. It establishes an advanced informed agreement procedure for ensuring that countries are provided with the information necessary to make informed decisions before agreeing to the import of such organisms into their territory.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, MS REJOICE MABUDAFHASI, MP, DURING THE MEETING TO PROMOTE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN TRANSFRONTIER CONSERVATION AREAS TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN NAGOYA, JAPAN

25 October 2010

Honourable Ministers,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps

Distinguished Guests from various business entities in Japan,

Ladies and gentlemen

My fellow Ministers and I are delighted and honored to welcome you all to this business meeting where we will show case transfrontier conservation areas that straddle the borders of 9 Southern African countries and the business opportunities available in these areas for consideration by the business community. Your presence here today is truly appreciated

Southern Africa has recently enjoyed significant global coverage during the successful hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This event provided us with an unprecedented opportunity to shape the image of our region and to highlight our tourist attractions and business opportunities. We showed the world that working together we can do more. We were delighted to see the Japanese team proceeding to the next round on the African soil.

Your culture of success and perseverance in running businesses has encouraged us to see Japan as a potential partner. Your businesses are not just successful but sustainable.

This has encouraged us to invite you that we share with you our singular success story on pioneering transfrontier conservation work, which is about cross border conservation, an important step towards playing a meaningful role in conserving the natural estate of the region. Transfrontier Conservation Areas connect our countries and ecosystems and enable us to work together in conserving our unique and significant biodiversity in these shared ecosystems while promoting cultural heritage preservation and economic growth through tourism development.

After all, most of the southern Africa’s key tourist attractions such as the mighty Victoria Falls, the majestic Ukahlamba-Drakensberg, the extensive Okavango Delta, the great Fish River Canyon, Kruger National Park, expansive deserts and spectacular rivers are located in transfrontier conservation areas.

Transfrontier conservation areas have been instrumental in cementing cooperation of the southern African countries and we have been cooperating in the area of conservation and tourism development for more that a decade. We believe that nature-based tourism is a conservation tool as it creates an enabling environment for conservation to pay for itself and improve the well being of local communities.

We further believe that investment in tourism facilities, supporting infrastructure and services will unlock the tremendous potential of the industry to address current regional development needs and contribute to the achievement of at least two Millenium Development Goals of eradicating extreme poverty and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Ladies and gentlemen, you will be pleased to note that we have packaged 51 investment projects in 7 transfrontier conservation areas that straddle the borders of 9 southern African countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe). The projects range from rustic to five star luxury accommodation facilities. The bulk of the products are in the mid-range category of accommodation and opportunities include three and four star lodges, house boats and hotels. The total estimated value of packaged investment opportunities is ZAR 1 billion (US$ 167 million).

The investment promotion process was launched in October 2008 and so far 4 projects have secured investors. 47 projects are still available and they will be presented to you in this meeting.

I trust that business people gathered here today share our philosophy that emphasizes the importance of a healthy relationship between nature, commerce, culture and community. I trust that your participation in this meeting will be rewarding and would like to thank you once again for your attendance.

Without partnerships and investment, conservation cannot benefit those whose survival is dependent on it. Let us therefore work together to create new opportunities that utilize the unique offerings in our region. Let us take delight in the connections between us and focus our collective creativity, ingenuity and passion on sharing the treasures of our beautiful region with the rest of the world.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the government of Japan for hosting the tenth meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity for allowing us to showcase our beautiful region against the backdrop of the Conference of the Parties meeting.

I thank you.

 
 

Source: South African Environmental
Press consultantship
All rights reserved

 
 
 
 

 

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