BEIJING: The Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing held an event in collaboration with the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) to engage the thought leaders based in the Chinese capital to raise awareness about the recent floods in Pakistan.
Representatives of various international organisations, Chinese think tanks, NGOs, the Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) and members of the Pakistani community attended the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Moin ul Haque briefed the audience on the extent and nature of the recent unprecedented floods in Pakistan. Expressing gratitude for the support extended by the international community in the wake of the calamity, particularly China and the UN, he reiterated the need for proactive climate action and international solidarity to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The ambassador stressed that it was unfortunate that despite being a low carbon emitter, Pakistan was among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. He called on rich countries to help the developing states affected by climate change.
He also hoped that international community would remain engaged with Pakistan in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
In his remarks, Henry Huaiyao Wang, the president of CCG, highlighted that strengthening international cooperation on climate change was a matter of utmost urgency. Sharing China’s experience in tackling climate change, he expressed solidarity with Pakistan and welcomed the diverse group of speakers and audience to the event.
Mabel Lu Miao, the secretary general of CCG and founder of Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) noted the huge losses of life and essential infrastructure due to floods in Pakistan. She highlighted the need for collective action in the wake of the climate catastrophe in Pakistan and stressed the importance of international solidarity in this regard.
In his keynote speech, Siddharth Chatterjee, UN Resident Coordinator in China, underlined the sifting climate patterns that have impacts in diverse manners including floods, food security and rising sea levels.
Highlighting Pakistan’s vulnerabilities to climate change and the loss caused by recent floods, he underlined the need for collective action for tackling climate change.
Other keynote speakers included Professor Shahbaz Khan, Resident Coordinator of UNESCO to China, Vano Noupech, UNHCR Representative in China, Ali Mchumo, Director General of International Organization of Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR), Ambassador Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary-General, SCO, Graziella Leite Piccoli, Deputy Head of Regional Delegation East Asia ICRC, and Dr Zhou Jinfeng.
The speakers appreciated the Embassy’s efforts in bringing different thought leaders on one platform. They expressed their sympathies and sentiments, and expressed the resolve to cooperate with Pakistan for proactive climate action and reconstruction.
The event included a panel discussion by GYLD involving representation of seven countries. During the dialogue, the panelists deliberated upon various ways to tackle climate change and shared success stories from their respective countries in environmental protection.
They particularly highlighted the responsibility that rests on youth for finding innovative and focused solutions to the problem.
The CCG is a leading Chinese global think tank specialising in international exchanges, and globalisation of Chinese talent and enterprises.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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