BEIJING, Oct 01 (ABC): The speakers representing international organizations and the Chinese think tanks at an event expressed their sympathies with the flood victims in Pakistan and expressed the resolve to cooperate with the government for proactive climate action and reconstruction. The event “In Solidarity with Pakistan” was jointly organized by Pakistan Embassy, Beijing and Center for China and Globalization (CCG) to engage the thought leaders centered in Beijing in order to raise awareness about the recent floods in Pakistan.
International organizations, Chinese think tanks, NGOs, members of Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) and Pakistani community attended the event. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque briefed the audience about the extent and nature of the recent unprecedented floods in Pakistan. Expressing gratitude for the support extended by international community particularly China and United Nations (UN), he reiterated the need for proactive climate action and international solidarity to mitigate the effects of climate change. Ambassador Haque 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 the climate change and also hoped that international community would remain engaged with Pakistan in the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase. In his remarks, President, CCG, Henry Huaiyao Wang 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. Secretary General of CCG and Founder of Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD), Ms. Mabel Lu Miao noted the huge losses of life and essential infrastructure due to floods in Pakistan.
She stressed 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, UN Resident Coordinator in China, Siddharth Chatterjee underlined the sifting climate patterns having impact 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 highlighted 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; Ms. 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 also included a panel discussion by Global Young Leaders Dialogue (GYLD) involving representation of seven different 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. CCG is a leading Chinese global think tank specializing in international exchanges, and globalization of Chinese talent and enterprises.