CANCUN, Mexico, December 13, 2010 – Grenada’s delegation to the just concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico attended a number of bilateral meetings on the margins of the global summit.
Prime Minister Tillman Thomas and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment, Trade and Export Development, Karl Hood engaged in a series of meetings with Heads of State and at the Ministerial level.
Minister Hood met with his ministerial colleagues from Canada, Australia, Singapore, Finland, Sweden, Japan, Hungary, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Global Environment Facility. Minister Hood also met with his Japanese counterpart and discussed projects proposals in the areas of coastal management, water, reforestation, and Global Information System.
He accompanied Prime Minister Thomas in a bilateral with the UAE where Grenada was urged to ratify the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and submit projects for funding. The UAE expressed a willingness to provide scholarships to Grenada and also advised of development funding from the Gulf State.
Grenada was a signatory of IRENA on June 5, 2009 but is yet to ratify the statute. To date 148 states and the European Union have signed the Statute of the Agency including 48 African, 38 European, 35 Asian, 17 in the Americas and 10 Australia/Oceania States.
Mandated by these governments worldwide, IRENA will promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.
During talks with the Mexicans the Minister discussed tourism, education and assistance for equipment to increase local production of sand while two projects including one on gender issues were submitted to the Finnish Government.
Prime Minister Thomas and Minister Hood, along with Permanent Secretary Sally Anne Bagwhan Logie and a technical staff met with officials of GEF where they discussed a sub-regional project on biodiversity.
Minister Hood also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with INWEnt, a non-profit German organisation with worldwide operations dedicated to human resource development, advanced training and dialogue.
The MOU, which was also signed by INWEnt’s Director of Department of Environment, Natural Resources and Food, Dr. Beate Wilhelm, was witnessed by German Member of Parliament, Frank Schwabe.
INWEnt supports those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and its capacity building programmes help in the development of successful adaptation strategies.
Both parties agree to cooperate in the field of human capacity building aimed at adaptation to climate change in the years 2011 and 2012.
At a meeting with the Grenada delegation in Cancun, Prime Minister Thomas congratulated members who provided their technical and negotiating skills to AOSIS as well as assisted with the bilateral meetings.
“I see this as a process and because of Grenada’s responsibility we need to have good representation to articulate a position for humanity,” he said.
“People will always criticise about size of delegations but the world is changing and we are part of the international community and we would have to be represented and to articulate certain views when it comes to our survival.
The Prime Minister was referring to three Grenadians who led the negotiations on behalf of AOSIS. Ambassador Dessima Williams, Leon Charles and Dr Spencer Thomas were in the frontline of the negotiating process for Small Island States.
The Grenada delegation also included Annlyn McPhie, a student who just completed studies in coastal management in Mexico, and technical officials of the Ministry of Environment.
By Michael Bascombe
