Chinese President Jiang Zemin has called for joint efforts in
environmental protection by both developed and developing countries
to ensure sustainable development worldwide, and pledged China
would continue to make its contribution.
Meanwhile, the responsibilities of developed and the developing
countries in ensuring sustainable development must be "common but
differentiated," Jiang said in his address to the second assembly
of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in Beijing on
Wednesday.
Global action on sustainable development should reflect the wishes
and interests of all countries, and a supportive international
economic climate should be created to help developing countries
achieve sustainable development, Jiang said.
The second assembly of the GEF, an international forum to provide
grants for investment projects and technical assistance for
worldwide environmental benefits, convened at a time when the
international community is devoting unprecedented attention to the
environment and sustainable development. It followed the United
Nations' Earth Summit six weeks ago in Johannesburg, South
Africa.
Protecting the global environment and achieving sustainable
development was not only an aspiration the world's people shared
but also a pressing task all countries face, Jiang said in his
speech titled "Let Us Take Steps to Create A Beautiful
Homeland."
"Sustainable development requires that we find a balance between
economic growth, environmental protection and all-round social
progress," he said, naming economic development and poverty
eradication as "a basic prerequisite for ensuring sustainable
development."
He
said sustainable development inevitably required the rational use
of resources and effective environmental protection. And a
recycling-style economy, based on the most efficient use of
resources and the most effective environmental protection, was the
only way to achieve sustainable development. "To achieve all-round
social progress and improve the quality of people's lives is the
ultimate goal of sustainable development," Jiang said.
He
said an international political and economic environment favorable
to sustainable development should be cultivated so the sustainable
development cause can advance in the right direction.
"Since there is only one earth for us to share, ensuring its
sustainable development is the common responsibility of all
countries. The principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities for the developed and developing countries must be
upheld," he said.
Jiang stressed that global measures on sustainable development
should fully respect the sovereignty of countries and their
independence in choosing their own path to progress. International
environmental norms should be formulated through the equal
participation of all countries and reflect their wishes and
interests.
"The difficulties of the developing countries especially should be
taken into full consideration and their actual needs respected in
an effort to establish a sincere partnership with them," he
said.
He
also urged reforms of the international finance, investment and
trade systems, and transfers of funds and technology to developing
countries, which face the dual tasks of poverty eradication and
environmental protection.
"It will be very hard for them to achieve sustainable development
without a sound and supportive international economic climate,"
Jiang said.
The president said the Chinese government attached great importance
to environmental protection and firmly committed itself to the
strategy of sustainable development.
"China's successful performance in the areas of the environment and
development has not only led to a better quality environment in
China, but has also made an important contribution to global
efforts to protect the environment and promote sustainable
development throughout the world," he said.
Jiang praised the GEF's unremitting efforts and remarkable
contributions to the global cause of environmental protection, and
its positive role in China's environmental protection.
"China is ready to broaden its cooperation with GEF," he said.
Mohamed T. El-Ashry, the GEF CEO and chairman, said the challenge
for society remained the same as in 1991 when the GEF was launched
- how to ensure sustainable development by balancing growth and
environmental protection.
Meeting the challenge would involve leaders from all walks of life
- from heads of states to civic leaders and small entrepreneurs, to
heads of international organizations and CEOs of major
corporations, he said.
The three-day assembly, with some 1,300 participants, will evaluate
the GEF's operations and policies and set guidelines for the next
four years.
Symposiums on the GEF and China's environment, the global
environment and sustainable development, science and world
environment, and other topics will be held during the meeting.
Initiated by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,
the GEF aims to help developing countries implement projects that
benefit the global environment in the area of biological diversity,
climate change, international waters and ozone depletion.
Prevention and control of persistent organic pollutants and land
degradation are expected to become new GEF issues to be addressed
during the assembly.
The first GEF assembly was held in New Delhi, India, in April
1998.
(Xinhua News
Agency October 17, 2002)