KABUL (Pajhwok): UNAMA Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Deputy Head Bruno Georges Lemarquis says efforts are underway to facilitate Afghan participation in international conferences, stressing the importance of attending COP and other environment-related meetings to raise Afghanistan’s concerns with the international community.
He made the remarks during a meeting with National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA) Director-General Mati-ul-Haq Khalis at his office, the authority said in a statement.
The meeting discussed environmental and climate change-related challenges, efforts to facilitate the participation of Afghan delegations in international environmental conferences, and attracting environmental projects to Afghanistan.
Khalis said Afghanistan was facing numerous environmental challenges, while climate change, natural disasters and drought had severely affected people, particularly because most Afghans depend on agriculture and livestock farming.
“Afghans are facing a humanitarian crisis, but unfortunately the international community has politicised environmental issues, ignored Afghanistan’s rights in this area and provided no financial support, even though Afghanistan is a formal member of international environmental conventions,” he said.
He called on UNAMA officials to inform the international community about Afghanistan’s environmental challenges and the adverse impacts of climate change and to seek greater support for the country in these areas.
He stressed that UNAMA should facilitate Afghanistan’s participation in international meetings so that the genuine problems and demands of the Afghan people could be conveyed to the international community.
He also called on the mission to provide technical assistance and support capacity-building efforts at the authority.
For his part, Lemarquis said: “We are with you and are trying to facilitate the participation of Afghan delegations in international conferences.”
He said COP and other environmental meetings were important and Afghan delegations should participate in them to convey their concerns and demands to the international community.
The UNAMA deputy head pledged to continue his efforts and support the National Environmental Protection Authority in capacity building.
The authority said that at the end of the meeting, both sides stressed the need for closer cooperation and agreed to establish a joint working committee to strengthen coordination and cooperation.
kk/sa
