At the launch today (September 24) of the Asian Institute of
Technology’s (AIT) new Center of Excellence on Sustainable Development
in the Context of Climate Change (SDCC), Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, UN/ESCAP Executive Secretary, said
the UN body looked forward to working in partnership with AIT to tackle
poverty and climate change in Asia.
The new Center was announced at an international conference held at the
Asian Institute of Technology in Pathumthani from 24-25 September 2009.
The conference was inaugurated by Dr. Heyzer, who also signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Prof. Said Irandoust, President,
Asian Institute of Technology for a partnership between the UN/Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and AIT
Delivering a keynote speech at the conference, the UN
Under-Secretary-General spoke of the critical need to push forward
toward a low carbon, green society, and stressed the urgency of
finalizing a global climate change deal at the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in
Copenhagen, in December this year.
Outlining the many threats to human security in the Asia-Pacific
region, Dr. Heyzer said most countries in the region face two critical
challenges: poverty and climate change. She called for a new global
paradigm that must include increased balance, inclusiveness, and
sustainability. “AIT’s new research focus can play a role in achieving
this vision in Asia, and the new center is one of the building blocks
for constructing this future,” Dr. Heyzer said.
United Nations Development Programme (UNEP), Executive Director-General,
Achim Steiner, echoed Dr. Heyzer in his videotape address to the
conference. “The United Nations Environment Programme shares the
objectives of the AIT Center of Excellence on Sustainable Development
in the Context of Climate Change and we hope to be able to contribute
and build on the long tradition that we have developed in working
together in partnership with AIT,” the UN Under-Secretary-General
said.
The conference gathered together a large number of international
scholars and stakeholders to discuss emerging, urgent issues and to
plan joint research efforts. The launching ceremony was also attended
by other distinguished guest speakers, namely H.E. Mr. Lennart Linner,
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Thailand; Mr. Yann Pradeau,
Charge d’Affaires a.i. of France to Thailand; and Mr. Cholathorn
Dumrongsak, Director, Total Quality Production Center, Siam Cement
Group (SCG).
Explaining why AIT is positioning its research under the theme
Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate Change, AIT
President, Prof. Said Irandoust, said: “If Asia, which is home to 60%
of the world’s population, is to have a prosperous future, it must be
built upon sustainable and sound green principles. AIT focuses on
learning and research strategies that will drive poverty reduction,
reduce risk and resource consumption, and create opportunities for
green jobs creation by building sustainable livelihoods in Asia.“
The MoU between AIT and UN/ESCAP will promote technology transfer
capacity among small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in the
Asia-Pacific region to undertake technology upgrading programmes in
order to effectively utilize environmentally sustainable and low-carbon
technologies.
Through the agreement, AIT and UN/ESCAP intend to work together to
strengthen the capacity of countries, especially developing countries,
least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small
island developing States, to design and deploy national innovation
systems that can help them achieve not only the Millennium Development
Goals but also foster the rapid diffusion of new and emerging
technologies, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, and renewable
energy technologies.
Welcoming the delegates, Prof. Sudip K Rakshit, Vice President
(Research) said the conference and the deliberations would help AIT
focus on climate change issues and tailor its research programs to suit
the needs of partnering agencies. He remarked that AIT had been working
on the issue of climate and environment much before it became a
buzzword.
The conference was broadcast live via the Internet, and was
teleconferenced to the AIT Center in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Polytech
Nice-Sophia Antipolis University in France by CanalAVIST and interLAB
(AIT). Over sixty students attended the conference from the classrooms
set up the AIT Center located in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
AIT President Said Irandoust and Dr.
Noeleen Heyzer, UN/ESCAP Executive Secretary after the MOU signing
ceremony