A delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean will today join the international community in Copenhagen within the framework of the Climate Change COP15 meeting from which a clear and decisive commitment is expected for the coming years.
PAM President, Hon. Rudy Salles (France) is leading a group of Mediterranean parliamentarians, namely Hon. Mohamed Abou El-Enein (Egypt), Hon Camille de Rocca Serra (France), Hon Athanasia Merentiti (Greece), Sen. Francesco Amoruso (Italy), Hon. Suleiman Ghneimat (Jordan) and Hon Askin Asan (Turkey). The Secretary General, Dr. Sergio Piazzi is also accompanying the PAM delegation.
President Salles, is scheduled to take the floor on the 18th December when he will illustrate the commitment of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to issues related to Climate Change in the region. Above all, Hon, Salles and the delegation, will present the “The Malta Declaration of the Commitment by Parliamentarians to COP 15 and Beyond.” Parliamentarians from across the world had agreed upon this common position at the end of the International Roundtable of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation held in Malta on 24 November 2009.
The meeting was organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) and the Government of Malta. Participants included members of parliaments from as far as Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, France, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Malta, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda and Turkey, in representation of regional parliamentary assemblies from Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe and the Mediterranean.
The UN circulated “The Malta Declaration” to all Heads of States and Governments ahead of the Copenhagen meeting, and the message will be also conveyed to the COP15 participants by the UN Secretary General. Additionally, the participants at the Malta meeting requested the personal support in Copenhagen of the Prime Minister of Malta, H.E. Lawrence Gonzi.
Since its foundation, PAM has embarked on a regular process of discussion on issues related to Climate Change, the Environment, Disaster Reduction, both internally and in cooperation with other international organisations, like the WMO and the UNISDR, in order to proactively confront ideas and build on the experience and knowledge base already developed.
“PAM has an important role to play in the region. It represents parliamentary diplomacy at its best and is an important complimentary asset to all initiatives that strive to work for the wellbeing of the region”, PAM Secretary General, said.