UN Climate Change Conference- Bali 2007 Optimistic Views on the Opening

Nusa Dua, 3 December 2007.

Optimistic feeling is shared during the opening of the thirteenth Conference on Climate Change in Bali International Convention Center, Westin Hotel, Nusa Dua, Bali, according to Emil Salim, Head of Delegation of the Republic of Indonesia. Several positive points includes: Australia’s commitment to sign the Kyoto Protocol, concrete talks regarding adaptation funds mechanism, and EU’s commitment to reduce their carbon emission below the 1990 level at the year 2020.
The positive signs made Emil Salim very optimistic that there will be a new framework being produced in Bali for the post-2012 agreement.

Secretary of UNFCCC Yvo de Boer opens the United Nations Climate Change Conference on December 3, 2007, in Bali Indonesia.

The next two-week meetings will produce report regarding dialogues on Long-term Action Plans for Climate Change through the Convention Implementation.

The opening, held on Plenary Hall, had gathered 1172 representatives from 180 countries. The Indonesian Minister of Environment, Rachmat Witoelar was elected as the President of COP-13, succeeding the previous COP President, David Mwiraria from Kenya.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference opened on December 3, 2007, in Bali Indonesia . Rachmat Witular, Minister of Environment as the President of COP 13 shook hand with the President of COP12 David Mwiraria

According to Emil Salim, this Bali meeting will lay foundations on talks and negotiations to formulate post Kyoto Protocol framework, which will be continued in Poland at 2008 and end in Denmark at 2009.

Oxfam's Polar Bears protested in support of humans who are also losing their habitat and natural resources due to Climate Change at the UN Climate Change Conference on Thursday 6 December, 2007. Photo: Ng Swan Ti

The most dramatic moment from the first meeting session is Australia Delegation’s statement to ratify Kyoto Protocol as soon as possible, which will legitimize their position as member of the Parties and can officially negotiate for the next sessions. Two years after Prime Minister John Howard refuse to sign the Kyoto Protocol in 2005, Australia’s change of position will make United States of America as the only major carbon-emitting industrialized country who refuse to be a part of the Protocol Kyoto.

In this conference, all parties will discuss the next steps on handling climate change through action mechanism for post-2012. Since years of lobbies and negotiations were more focusing on mitigation effort, the Bali conference will hopefully give adaptation mechanism higher priority on the agenda.

Emil Salim wished this Bali meeting can reach agreement on several practical steps in assisting developing countries to develop their own adaptation strategies. Such example includes Indonesia’s effort to reduce emission from deforestation (which contributes 20% of the total greenhouse gas emission in the world), and attention to adaptation capacity building for small-island States. Hopefully, Bali can facilitate all concrete agreement on capacity building in developing countries

Source : United Nations Framework of Climate Change Convention - UNCCC Bali 2007- Press Release 03/12/2007 http://www.menlh.go.id/

UN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE 2007- BALI - BALI ROAD MAP

UN Climate Change ConferenceBali 2007 Repor

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Delegates rise to applaud the decision to adopt the "Bali roadmap" for a future international agreement on climate change

The Conference, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, took place at the Bali International Convention Centre and brought together more than 10,000 participants, including representatives of over 180 countries together with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and the media. The two week period included the sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, its subsidiary bodies as well as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. A ministerial segment in the second week concluded the Conference.

The conference culminated in the adoption of the Bali Road Map, which consists of a number of forward-looking decisions that represent the various tracks that are essential to reaching a secure climate future. The Bali Road Map includes the Bali Action Plan, which charts the course for a new negotiating process designed to tackle climate change, with the aim of completing this by 2009. It also includes the AWG-KP negotiations and their 2009 deadline, the launch of the Adaptation Fund, the scope and content of the Article 9 review of the Kyoto Protocol, as well as decisions on technology transfer and on reducing emissions from deforestation (see the President's closing remarks below).

Clising Statement of Rachmat Witoelar-UN Climate Change Meeting Dec 2007

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The Bali Communiqué - UN Climate Change Conference 2007

This communiqué comes from the business leaders of over 150 global companies. It is being issued in advance of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2007, taking place from December 3 to 14 in Bali, Indonesia.

The scientific evidence is now overwhelming. Climate change presents very serious global social, environmental and economic risks and it demands an urgent global response.
As business leaders, it is our belief that the benefits of strong, early action on climate change outweigh the costs of not acting:

The economic and geopolitical costs of unabated climate change could be very severe and globally disruptive. All countries and economies will be affected, but it will be the poorest countries that will suffer earliest and the most. The costs of action to reduce greenhouse gasses emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change are manageable, especially if guided by a common international vision. Each year we delay action to control global emissions increases the risk of unavoidable consequences that will likely necessitate even steeper reductions in the future, causing potentially greater economic, environmental and social disruption. The shift to a low - carbon economy will create significant business opportunities. New markets for low-carbon technologies and products, worth billions of dollars, will be created if the world acts on the scale required. In summary, we believe that tackling climate change is the pro-growth strategy. Ignoring it will ultimately undermine economic growth.

It is our view that a sufficiently ambitious, international and comprehensive legally binding United Nations agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will provide business with the certainty it needs to scale up global investment in low-carbon technologies. We believe that an enhanced and extended carbon market needs to be part of this framework as it offers the necessary flexibility, allows for a cost-effective transition and provides financial support to developing countries.

In order to avoid dangerous climate change, the overall targets for emissions reduction must be guided primarily by science. Even an immediate peaking in global emissions would require a subsequent reduction of at least 50% by 2050, according to the Fourth Assesment Report of the

Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, and the later the peak in emissions, the greater the required reduction. All countries will need to play their part but we recognise that the greatest effort must be made by those countries that have already industrialised.

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December in Bali, Indonesia, countries will have an opportunity to agree a work-plan of comprehensive negotiations to ensure such an agreement can be signed in Copenhagen in2009, to come into force post 2012.

We urge world leaders to seize this window of opportunity.
In return, we pledge to engage positively with governments to help develop the policies and measures that are needed internationally and nationally for the business sector to contribute effectively to building a low carbon economy.

Source : wikipedia

SENATOR HAMDHANI VISITED AFFORESTATION PROJECT IN CENTRAL KALIMANTAN, 31 May 2008

Senator Hamdhani and senator Nyoman Rudana from Bali, flew to Central Kalimantan to visit an afforestation program of Korindo, a South Korea group of companies.

Senator Hamdhani, senator Nyoman Rudana and Minister of Forestry MS. Kaban

Afforestation or tree planting has been consistently pursued by Korindo to develop timber business, preserve the tropical forest cover and protect global environment. Their activities in timber plantations are based on the philosophy of placing a great emphasis on enviromental proctection, human resources development and responsibility in and around forest areas.

This event was attended by The Indonesian Minister of Forestry Mr. M.S. Kaban and South Korea Minister of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Senator Hamdhani, along with the Ministers and Senator Nyoman Rudana, planted a tree, as a symbol to our commitment to preserve the earth from the effect of global warming, where we all know that forest plays a major role for carbon sequestration to avoid global warming. For myself, preserving the nature is inline with Balinese philosophy Trihita Karana, which is harmonizing the relationship between God and human beings, human beings with their fellowmen, and human beings with their environment.

The ceremony of the afforestation project

INDONESIAN REGIONAL INVESTMENT FORUM ( IRIF ) 2008, 26 – 27 May 2008 at Ritz Carlton Hotel, One Pasific Place, Jakarta

Investment Forum ( IRIF ) 2008, 26 – 27 May 2008 in The Ritz Carlton Hotel , One Pasific Place, Jakarta. It brought a topic of Reaching for the tipping point: Emerging Indonesia 2008. IRIF is the leading forum for investment in Indonesia. Investors can meet directly with the Indonesian leadership and discuss projects for investment from a wide range of industry sectors including mining & energy, oil & gas, agribusiness and tourism. It hosted by The House of Regional Representatives of The Republic of Indonesia ( DPD – RI ) and inaugurated by President SBY.

Senator Nyoman Rudana from Bali,Thaksin Sinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and senator Hamdhani from Central Kalimantan.

With fellow DPD member senator Nyoman Rudana from Bali ( left ), business woman Mien Uno and his son Sandiaga Uno, and Mrs. Siti Nurbaya, Secretary General of DPD RI.

This forum was organized by Global Initiative and initiated by the Regional Representatives Council (DPD – RI ). President SBY inaugurated it on 26 May 2008. Global Initiative is an organization which promotes positive social change and sustainable global development through international events and media projects.

Kenichi Ohmae



IRIF 2008 was attended by around 1,000 participants and invited many top notch speakers including former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the chief commissioner of Malaysia’s Sima Darby, Tun Musa Hitam, and the CEO of Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional, Dato Azman. Kenichi Ohmae, , described as ‘Mr Strategy’ worldwide and selected by The Economist as one of the top five management gurus in the world and the author of The End of the Nation State.

Thaksin Sinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand

Among Indonesian government officials spoke at the forum were Trade Minister Mari Pangestu, Finance Minister Mrs. Sri Mulyani, Deputy Governor of the Indonesian Central Bank Mrs. Miranda Gultom, , and State Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil

Sri Mulyani ( left ) and Miranda Gultom ( center ).

Left to right : Dato Musa Hitam, Tanri Abeng, James Riady. and Sandiaga Uno

IRIF 2008 to Offer 200 Projects Worth US$19 Billion

The Indonesian Regional Investment Forum (IRIF) will offer some 200 projects worth US$19 billion to foreign investors in the oil and gas, mining, agribusiness, infrastructure and tourism sectors, a spokesman said. "The amount and value of the projects will be higher than the previous IRIF in 2006 which only offered 60 projects," CEO of Global Initiatives Tony Gourlay said here Wednesday. In 2008, Global Initiatives was cooperating with the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and some state-run companies to conduct the forum scheduled to be held from May 26 through 27. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to open the forum. Tony said the forum would offer investment potentials in 35 districts to some 300 investors from 20 countries among others from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China, India, the Middle East, the United States and some European countries. "It is time for local governments to play wider roles in attracting investors. Before offering investment cooperation, it would need local government's preparedness in business as well as legal aspects," he added. The largest project offered in the forum is the construction of oil refinery in Banten Province worth US$4 billion while the smallest project is development of cattle farm in Central Sulawesi Province worth US$81,000. "But the most important thing is that the projects could open job opportunities and improve people's welfare," he said. Most of the projects offered in the forum are in infrastructure sector among others construction of Penajam bridge in Balikpapan, Batam-Bintan bridge, agribusiness terminal in Balaraja, Karian dam, Cilegon-Bojonegoro toll road, Bojonegoro international port, Kaliwungu port in Kendal, Maloy port and Sangkimah airport in East Kutai, and international container port in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. Other projects are geothermal power plant in Cisukarame, Cisolok and Tampomas, West Java, Lati Berau steam-generated power plant in Berau district of East Kalimantan and in Bau-bau district of Southeast Sulawesi. More than 1,000 investors would attend the forum, including former Thai prime minister and founder of Shin Corp, Thaksin Shinawatra, President Commissioner of Sima Darby, Tun Musa Hitam, and CEO Khazanah Nasional Dato, Azman bin Mokhtar. They would also shared their tips to get success to other participants including local government leaders and executives of national companies.

IRI meeting

Two economists would share the strategy to invest, namely Kenneth S Courtis, former vice president of Goldman Sachs and Chief Economist & Strategist, Managing Director Deutsche Bank, and Kenichi Ohmae, founder and managing director of Ohmae and Associates. Deputy Chief of DPD, Irman Gusman said, IRIF is expected to inspire Indonesian businessmen to expand their business thus it could support the country's economic growth. "This is in line with the aim of DPD, to increase economic growth through empowerment of regional projects," he said. While former minister of state enterprises, Tanri Abeng said, local governments should take the benefit from IRIF 2008 to increase its economic growth. "Investors, especially foreign investors, are keen to directly invest in regions. But local government must have clear information on its potential and cut short bureaucracy," Tanri said.

With HE Thaksin Sinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand

Source : Antara - 22 May 2008

INDONESIA'S FOREIGN MINISTER ADDRESSES 116TH IPU ASSEMBLY: "MORE PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED TODAY THAN IN THE TWO DECADES BEFORE THE END OF THE COLD WAR"

HE DR. Hassan Wirajuda, Minister of Foreign Affairs

The Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Hassan Wirajuda, speaking today at the 116th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, referred to the surge of hope that had emerged two decades ago that many of the world's problems would simply go away with the end of the Cold War, that the world would enjoy the blessings of information technology, where the cause of economic and social development would benefit from the peace dividend. But, he added, "there was no peace dividend. And there was no peace. Unilateralism reasserted itself in global affairs. The number of armed conflicts increased. Some old conflicts, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, have persisted, and new ones, like the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, have broken out".

The Indonesian Foreign Minister also mentioned the problem of international terrorism, a topic that the 116th Assembly will debate as an emergency item. "More people are being killed today than in the two decades before the end of the Cold War. And today, a new security threat that can inflict unprecedented suffering on humankind looms on the horizon: global warming. This means that, 15 years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and almost a decade after the Kyoto Protocol, nothing decisive has been done by the developed and developing world together in a partnership to sustain the environment".

Speaking on the topic of global partnership, Dr. Wirajuda declared that "the remedy is to take an intermediate step, to move from national to global by way of the regional. This means promoting regional cooperation and making it a constant and vigorous complement of all our global undertakings. Regional is a powerful motivator. When confronted with a major problem or threat in their immediate geographical neighbourhood, nations instinctively group together and address that problem or threat together".

Dr. Wirajuda concluded his remarks by saying that "every successful regional order can serve as an important building block in the construction of the edifice that is an enhanced world order. Then we will have a world in which nations, regions and the entire human race are interconnected and aware of their indivisible destiny".

In the afternoon, the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Dr. Budiono, also addressed the Assembly. He explained that among the countries affected by the 1997 crisis, Indonesia was the hardest hit and the slowest to recover. "We had to restart the economy from a low level and we had to do that at the same time as we undertook a tricky process of political transition. In the past decade the economy has been steadily edging up from the negative growth territory to the positive while our democracy is also taking root".

Dr. Budiono stressed that "job creation and poverty reduction are important goals in themselves as well as instrumental for successful political development in a young democracy such as Indonesia." The key was to accelerate economic growth while maintaining economic stability, a "conventional" policy that had to be supplemented with a proactive approach to meeting basic needs, empowering the poor and small enterprises and generating jobs, including by facilitating overseas employment for domestic labour forces.

Source : IPU - Press Release – 1 May 2007

LEGISLATORS CALL FOR ACTION TO AVERT DANGEROUS HUMAN INTERFERENCE IN CLIMATE SYSTEM

The 116th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which was attended by some 600 parliamentarians (including 150 women) from 111 countries, has endorsed a declaration calling on parliaments to foster increased community understanding of the threat of climate change and the action needed to avert dangerous human interference in the climate system.

The declaration expresses deep concern at the growing body of scientific evidence on the probable adverse impact of climate change. "The developing countries are likely to suffer most because they lack the capacity to cope with natural disasters, and they will continue to pay a heavy toll in casualties and destroyed infrastructure".

With Senator Nyoman Rudana from Bali at the session of during IPU meeting

The legislators gathered in Nusa Dua urged the 13th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Climate Change Convention, which will convene in Bali in December 2007, to formulate a feasible road map for long-term cooperation on the Convention's implementation and to pursue negotiations on the measures required to ensure continuity beyond the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period. They pledged to raise the issue of climate change in parliaments, to ask ministers about their preparation for the Bali meeting and to report back to the IPU.

Building bridges between religions and culturesThe legislators also adopted several resolutions. Under the agenda item "Ensuring respect for and peaceful co-existence between all religious communities and beliefs in a globalized world", the IPU Assembly agreed on a number of concrete recommendations to promote universal values while recognizing the multicultural diversity of societies. It urges parliaments "to take effective measures to combat incitement to, or acts of violence, intimidation and coercion motivated by hatred and intolerance based on culture, religion or belief" and to ensure "that religious and cultural sites are fully respected and protected". In addition, law enforcement officers, military personnel, educators, civil servants and other public officials must "respect different religions and beliefs and not discriminate against persons professing other religions or beliefs"; the requisite education and training must also be provided.

In recognition of the critical role of the media in cultural and religious debates, parliaments also pledged "to take effective measures to protect freedom of the press and freedom of expression and to enact legislation which promotes the ethical responsibility that goes with these freedoms, particularly not to incite hatred, racism, xenophobia, and human rights violations."

With fellow DPD members

Training, education, and safety nets key in the age of global competitionIn a second resolution, on "Job creation and employment security in the era of globalization", policy-makers said that globalization will only be fair if pro-active measures are taken to provide all people with an opportunity to find "decent work", as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), and with safety nets enabling them to take up other occupations or undergo further training and skills development.

To facilitate such policies, trade unions and employers must work together. The resolution "encourages all social partners, including employers' and employees' organizations, to engage in effective and inclusive social dialogue aimed at identifying policy tools and operational procedures for creating more jobs, reducing unemployment, and improving employability through skills development". It also calls on "corporations to follow the principles of corporate social responsibility" and for more incentives and greater support for the self-employed, small businesses and cooperatives. It also discusses measures to protect women workers or entrepreneurs, people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups from workplace discrimination.

The rules of political life are strengthenedA resolution on "Promoting diversity and equal rights for all through universal democratic and electoral standards" calls on parliaments "to promote, monitor and evaluate the participation of minority groups and vulnerable members of society in the electoral process".

Coming on the 10th anniversary of the IPU's Universal Declaration on Democracy, the resolution also reaffirms all of the principles set out in that declaration. It urges governments "to provide a level playing field and give equal opportunities to all candidates and political parties to take part in the democratic and electoral process and to ensure fair access to the media."

The resolution also calls on parliaments "to prevent interference by foreign governments in other countries' elections and democratic processes, and stresses the responsibility of the international community to ensure respect for the outcome of free and fair elections".

Legislators pledge to fight violence against childrenThe 116th IPU Assembly also discussed violence against children. A video on the child protection projects visited by an IPU/UNICEF group during a field visit to Nusa Tenggara Barat, on the island of Lombok, was commented by Mrs. Kay Hull, member of the Australian Parliament. "We thank the IPU and UNICEF for the opportunity to be involved and we recommend that more delegates be able to have such meaningful exposure to the many issues of your host countries", she said.

Source : IPU Press Release – 4 May 2007

116th IPU ASSEMBLY - Nusa Dua, Bali (Indonesia), 29 April - 4 May 2007

The 116 th Assembly of IPU Meeting Complete Report - May 2007

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AGENDA OF THE ASSEMBLY

Item 1 Election of the President and Vice-Presidents of the 116th Assembly

Item 2 Consideration of possible requests for the inclusion of an emergency item in the Assembly agenda

Item 3 General debate on the political, economic and social situation in the world with the overall theme of Global warming: ten years after Kyoto
Item 4 Ensuring respect for and peaceful co-existence between all religious communities and beliefs in a globalized world
(Standing Committee on Peace and International Security)

Item 5 Job creation and employment security in the era of globalization
(Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade)

With the late former Minister of Foreign affair H.E Ali Alatas at the 116th Assembly of IPU Meeting

Item 6 Promoting diversity and equal rights for all through universal democratic and electoral standards
(Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights)

Item 7 Approval of the subject items for the 118th Assembly and appointment of the Rapporteurs

Item 8 International cooperation to combat terrorism, its root causes and its financing, including cross-border funding (Emergency item)

With fellow delegates from around the world