The Fifth Meeting of China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (hereafter refers to as CCICED) was he1d in Oct. l3-l5, 200l in Beijing. Forty-one international and Chinese Council members, l7 Co-Chairs of Working Groups, 4 special guests and 25 observers participated in this meeting. The meeting was chaired by Chairman Wen Jiabao and Vice-Chair Len Good, Qu Geping and Xie Zhenhua.
Chairman Li Peng of NPC Standing Committee met with representatives of the international and Chinese members and Co-Chairs present at this meeting. He delivered an important speech after listening to the views and recommendations from the representatives carefully. He pointed out that the international and Chinese members and experts of CCICED have been very much concerned about the cause of environment and development in China and have given much wisdom and efforts. Many recommendations from CCICED have been adopted by relevant central and local governments and departments. They have been transformed into policies and achievements in promoting the economic growth and improving ecological environment. CCICED has become a typical model for the cooperation on environment and development in the world. The Government of China will continue to support the work of CCICED Phase III.
Chairman Li Peng introduced to the representatives the status of attention given to the establishment of environmental legal system in China. This includes strengthening the legislation of the country and local level as well as conducting the special monitoring and supervision on the law enforcement on environment. The Chairman also commented on the increase of input on environmental protection, carrying out international cooperation, improvement of environmental quality in Beijing, returning cultivated lands to forests and grasslands, tack1e the issue of rural non-point pollution and readjustment of industrial restructuring.
Vice Premier Wen Jiabao made a remark during the opening ceremony. He pointed out that China should give high priority to eco-construction and environmental protection while maintaining the rapid economic growth. To stick to the implementation of the sustainable development strategy and to promote the coordination and harmony between human beings and the nature, it is engaged to create a new path of civilization development with economy development, social affluence and favorable ecology. He reiterated that China is speeding up the readjustment of economic structure and the construction of the basic environmental infra-structure, strengthening the eco-construction and protection, exploring the operational mechanism of environmental protection and the new mechanism of science and technology. He believes that CCICED is gathering experts and scholars in the field of world environment and development and through their wisdom to provide very valuable commendations to the scientific policy of the Government of China, which is a very good way of organization. He hopes that CCICED will have a further study and discussion of the major issues in environment and development of new Five-Year Plan. Views will be exchanged and new recommendations will be put forward to the Government of China. CCICED is going to play more important role in the new century. Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao also awarded a Certificate to every member and Co-Chair.
This meeting is the last one for the second phase of CCICED. Focusing on the theme "Summarizing Phase II and Preparing for Phase III, and make continuous contribution to the cause of environment and development in China", members and representatives participating the meeting concluded the work over 5 years and made comments and suggestions on how to run Phase III well. Asian Development Bank, United Nations Environment Program, United Nations Development Program, State Development and Planning Commission, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Chinese Academy on Sciences and Beijing Municipal Government were invited to the meeting and made presentations on the Trend of Global and Asian Environment and Development, Major Tasks and Measures of Sustainable Development in the Tenth Five-Year Plan in China, Accession to WTO and China's Economy, Agriculture Non-Point Pollution Control and Promotion of Green Olympics respectively. A general debate was conducted on the general situation and problem facing in China's environment and development.
Reviewing the Work Report of CCICED Secretariat and Report from the Co-Chairs' Coordination Meeting, the meeting further listened to the presentations from 8 Working Groups on Energy Strategy and Technology, Sustainable Agriculture, Pollution Control, Cleaner Production, Bio-diversity, Trade and Environment, Environmental Economics, Environment and Transportation and Summary on Task Force on Forests and Grasslands in the West. Discussions were carried out consequently. The meeting also listened to the report on Marching to the Sustainable Enterprise from the newly established Task Force on Enterprises' Development and Environment. In the closing ceremony, Minister Xie Zhenhua made a Work Report on the second phase of CCICED on behalf of the Bureau.
During this meeting, international members together with their Chinese counterparts as well as the Co-Chairs were very concerned about how China will implement the sustainable development strategy continuously in the new century and many good recommendations were put forward. CCICED has taken the essential from these recommendations and after discussion and revision, the Recommendations to the Government of China from the 5th Meeting of CCICED Phase II was passed.
After the meeting, Mr. He Xiaowei, representative from MOFTEC and Mr. Len Good, representative from CIDA, signed the MOU for CCICED Phase III between Government of China and Government of Canada. These two governments are cooperating again for the third phase of CCICED.
After the signing ceremony, the Bureau held a press conference, on which relevant information regarding the 5th meeting of CCICED Phase II and Phase III has been released and questions from the journalists have been answered.
Before and after the meeting, with the instruction from Premier Zhu Rongji and with the assistance from the provincial government of Gansu, CCICED organized a visit to the west region (Gansu Dingxi) for some members. The severe eco-status in the west and the hard working spirit of the local people on the small river basin has deeply impressed the members.
The Bureau had 3 meetings and made full discussions on the summary of CCICED Phase II and work of Phase III, in particularly the issues such as how to carry out necessary reform based on the work of previous two phases before and after the 5th meeting of CCICED Phase II. A Plan for Reform for CCICED Phase III was thus formed and would be implemented after the approval from the State Council.
With the joint effort of all the participants, the 5th meeting of CCICED Phase II has completed the agenda smoothly and made a great success.
