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NEWS IDFR-UNAM Workshop on Malaysia’s Climate Change Strategies: Plan of Action On 10 September 2014, IDFR, in colla- Scene, explained two important sants emphasised that working boration with the United Nations elements; Malaysia’s Position and individually is not going to solve Association of Malaysia (UNAM), Broad Policies on Environment and climate change; everyone should bear organised a workshop related to Climate Change and Multilateral and in mind that climate change is really climate change titled Malaysia’s Regional Agreements that Affect happening right now, only then it will Climate Change Strategies: Plan of Climate Change Policies. The issues drive action. Some of the key risks in Action. on climate change started in the 1990s Asia which were identified are and communities in general have increased coastal, riverine and urban The workshop was attended by accepted the fact that the main flooding leading to widespread officials from various ministries and contributor to the occurring and acce- damage to infrastructure and settle- government agencies, members of the lerating climate change issues is ments in Asia, increased risk of heat diplomatic corps, council members of human activities. The United Nations related mortality, increased risk of UNAM, UNAM Youth Circle and its UN Framework Convention on Climate flood related death, injuries, infectious Clubs, and representatives from think Change (UNFCC) and the Interna- diseases and mental disorders and tanks, public and private universities tional Environmental Treaty were water shortage in arid areas of Asia. and NGOs. agreed upon in Rio de Janeiro also known as the Earth Summit. The The last session saw a discussion on The workshop commenced with objective of the Earth Summit was to Moving Forward and Preparation for welcoming remarks by Ambassador stabilise greenhouse gases and Climate Summit 2014. It was said that Aminahtun Hj. A. Karim, Deputy Direc- concentration in the atmosphere with developed countries must transfer tor General of IDFR. This was followed the climatic system. In the current green technology to developing coun- by opening remarks by YM Tengku Tan landscape of UNFCC, Malaysia is not tries so that they can catch up. How- Sri Dato’ Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen talking about the positions and ever, there are many loopholes and Tengku Ismail, President of UNAM and policies of Malaysian climate policy flaws to this mechanism and it needs a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, but more of action plans and strate- lot of improvement. Besides, econom- Malaysia. The Keynote Address by the gies it has. ic sectors should take the environ- Minister of Natural Resources and mental sustainability as a factor. Environment was then read by his The second session discussed Malay- Meanwhile, the environmental activ- representative, Dr. Gary William sia’s Current Policies and Actions. ism should also take economic Theseira, Deputy Undersecretary of Among the policies touched on was sustainability into consideration. This the Ministry of Natural Resources and waste management. The types of balance is essential to environment. In Environment. waste found in Malaysia include terms of preparing for Climate Summit hazardous waste, solid waste, agricul- 2014, the involved parties should cut Climate issues will be the primary ture waste, sludge, mining industry down the documentation and be more focus for debate at the Climate and radioactive. Mitigation strategies action oriented. Summit to be held on 23 September and plan of actions were discussed to 2014 followed by continuous discus- overcome solid waste disposal issues. The workshop was officially closed by sion as a key agenda on this subject at Two of the main mitigation strategies Tan Sri Razali Ismail, Deputy President th the 69 session of the United Nations were on governance, mainly the policy of UNAM and Former Permanent General Assembly on 24 September and legislative framework and the Representative of Malaysia to the 2014. aspects of technology and tech- United Nations. niques. The workshop was divided into four sessions. The discussants in the first The third session was on Scientific session which was on Setting the Community View Point. The discus- Lecture on Ukraine and the European Security On 1 July 2014, IDFR, with the support pean Security. The lecture was mode- The lecture focused on history, facts of the Foreign Policy Study Group rated by Dato’ M. Redzuan Kushairi, and socio-politics of Ukraine. Accor- (FPSG) and the Jeffrey Cheah Institute Deputy Chairman of FPSG. ding to Professor Dr. Birch, Ukraine of Southeast Asia, hosted Professor which is located at the heart of Europe Dr. Sarah Birch, Chair of Comparative The programme began with welco- and on the border between the Politics at School of Social and Politi- ming remarks by Dato’ Hussin Nayan, eastern and western halves of the cal Sciences, University of Glasgow to the Director General of IDFR, followed continent, has often been a battle deliver a lecture on Ukraine and Euro- by the lecture. ground between forces that desire 20 bulletin@idfr.gov.my