ISLAMABAD, NOV 18, SPA -- Minister for Environment Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, who is currently in Nairobi to attend the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention and Second Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP), has held meetings with his Iranian and UAE counterparts. According to an official statement, Faisal Saleh and Mrs. Fatemah Waez Javadi, Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment of Iran, discussed areas for joint environmental cooperation between the two countries and indicated their interest to include forestry, eco-tourism, marine and air pollution in the Memorandum of Understanding. The two sides agreed to convene a ministerial level meeting on Tehran Initiative to control illicit trans-boundary movement of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS). The minister informed his UAE counterpart Dr Mohammad Saeed Al Kindi about Pakistan s interest in collaboration with the UAE regarding combating oil pollution and protection and conservation of coastal and marine environment. While addressing the opening session of the conference, Faisal Saleh said the climate change was the greatest threat faced by not only human beings, but also the natural physical and biological environment. He reiterated Pakistan s deep commitment to the global efforts in the field of climate change, and enumerated the steps taken by the government including formation of Prime Minister s Committee on Climate Change, establishment of Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCSIC), approval of National Environment Policy, National Sanitation Policy, National Forestry Policy and National Energy Conservation Policy Framework (2005-1020), setting up the Clean Development Mechanism Cell and launching of an aggressive nationwide clean drinking water programme for all to achieve the target before the stipulated target date under the Millennium Development Goals. The minister called upon the participating countries of the conference to operationalise the Special Climate Change Funds, Adaptation Funds and Least Development Country Funds, extend the commitment period of Annex-1 countries to the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012, as some of important nations have not yet accepted to the same, and there was a tremendous scope for sustainable development under Clear Development Mechanism (CDM) of Kyoto Protocol. The minister strongly supported the recommendations of the UN secretary general s high level panel on the UN System-wide coherence in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and environment.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/404096