Engr. Sammuel Contreras (fifth from right), Chairman, Committee for the Review of the of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC),
presides over the Committee’s session (photo source: http://enb.iisd.org/desert/cop14/3sep.html)
The Philippine Delegation lead by Mr. Arvin R. de Leon(left photo: seated, leftmost) at the High Level Segment Sessions
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (rightmost) addresses the delegates at the High Level Segment opening ceremony.
9 September 2019 - A Philippine delegation headed by Mr. Arvin R. de Leon, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, participated in the High Level Segment of the 14th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which was hosted by the Indian Government and held at the Export Centre and Mart in Greater Noida, India on 09 September 2019.
The participation of the Philipines in the said event is very critical in emphasizing the Philippines’ commitment to international efforts to combat drought, desertification and land degradation (DLDD). The High Level Segment of the Conference consists of the opening ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister of India, the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ministers from party states, UN officials and other Indian government officials, as well as the roundtable discussions.
In the Philippine statement delivered by Mr. de Leon during the Roundtable on Land Climate and Renewable Energy, the impact of climate change on the environment as well as ways to mitigate its impact were hihglighted and recommended the use of bio-energy as an alternative source of renewable energy and expressed the Philippines’ support to efforts to restore peatland as water and carbon stores.
The members of the Philippine delegation also attended other important meetings of the event which were held on 02-13 September 2019. These includes the 18th Session of the Committee for the Review of the of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC18), which the Philippines chaired, and the 14th Session of the Committee on Science and Technology (CST14).
The other members of the Philippine Delegation wereActing Director Joyleen E. Santos (DFA-Office of United Nations and other International Organizations), Vice Consul Charles Lawrence L. Ching (Philippine Embassy), Engr. Samuel M. Contreras (DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management), Engr. Evangeline Dacumos (DA-Bureau of Soils and Management), Mr. Baldwin M. Pine (DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management), Ms. Ma. Teresa G. Aquino (DENR-Forest Management Bureau), Ms. Marikit L. Degaños (DFA-Office of United Nations and other International Organizations) and Mr. Edwin Juan Batallones (Philippine Embassy).END
