I am happy to address you on the occasion of the inauguration of the first ever Assembly Meeting of the Global Environment Facility. It is indeed fitting that the first Assembly Meeting of this international cooperative venture should be held in the developing world and that too in India. The twentieth century has witnessed major developments which have momentous impact not only on the lives of human beings but also on planet earth. These include an unprecedented growth in population and in consumption, rapidly increasing urbanisation, dramatic changes in the global economic system and the revolution in communication technology. As we are poised on the threshold of the third millennium, we have become increasingly aware that the process of development including industrialisation and economic growth have come at a huge cost to society, to the environment and to our very future. 

In some ways it is ironical that some of the achievements of the twentieth century themselves pose the challenges for the twenty-first century. With almost six billion people inhabiting this earth, and the global GDP approaching thirty trillion dollars, the pace of human and economic activity is putting pressure on global life support systems. We witness the depletion of non-renewal natural resources, the continued destruction of life sustaining forests and illegal international trade in protected species of flora and fauna. There is an on-going depletion of our planet's biological treasures and the threat of an acceleration in global warming and in the green-house effect. In short, there is a rapid globalisation of environmental destruction. The environmental impact of human activity is no longer restricted to man made national boundaries. 

The problems of environmental degradation call for more than scientific and technological solution. They require the re-establishment of environmental ethics and values practised in traditional societies, with economic development based on these issues. India, as one of the traditional societies, has always believed in the integrality and sacredness of Nature, with all- pervading peace as the ultimate purpose of all existence and activity. The age old philosophy of co-existence is not one merely for co-existence of human beings, but it is in fact a basic premise of all living beings and of harmony within the cosmos. The delicate balance of Nature has to be restored, even as we have to ensure complementarity and co-existence of different life forms, between plants and animals and between Nature and man. The balance of five basic elements - the panchtatva - air, water, fire, the earth and the sky has to be restored. Based on our experience and understanding of global
environment we realise today that sustainable development at the national level cannot be pursued in isolation. Quality of life of the nations today as also in the future, depends to a very large extent on the policies and actions that the fellow nations of the world pursue. Against this background, new partnerships have to be established for conservation and sustainable development while ensuring equitable distribution of technology and social advancement. Promoting these partnerships require making the most of the diverse repertoire of knowledge, skills, perceptions and of assets belonging to a wide cross-section of nations and societies. 

When we analyse the nature of pollutants, we find that both affluence and poverty contribute to their high levels. The problems of the industrialised and the developed world stem from their high levels of economic activity and consumption. The degeneration of forests and natural resources in the developing countries, on the other hand, can be attributed largely to the lack of resources and alternative source of energy and income generation. The strategies to tackle these two distinct causes therefore, need to be significantly different. In the case of the rich and developed world, the issues can be best handled by laying stringent emission norms, limits on pollutants and by enforcing these stringent norms and limitations. However, for the developing and the under-developed world, the best approach would be to put into place an incentive structure that would encourage conservation and discourage the scavenging of nature, without compromising economic development and rapid alleviation of poverty. For the developing countries, we should make concerted efforts to facilitate and promote adoption of environment friendly techniques of production and also undertake far greater measures to disseminate information about the ill-effects of polluting forces. 

As part of international efforts to contain the ill effects of environmental degradation and to encourage sustainable development, nations have put in place several ecological treaties like the Montreal Protocol, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Bio-diversity, the Convention to Combat desertification etc. Although much attention seems to be focussed on climate change, on global warming and Ozone layer, very little is being done to address the environmental problems facing poor societies, whether it be paucity of clean drinking water or poor sanitary conditions. 

Let me reiterate that if we are committed to successfully address the challenges of sustainable development, and hence of environmental conservation, then it will require an international movement, the like of which has never been seen before. It will require effective integration of the sporadic efforts being made by the different players whether it be international organisations, national Governments, or non-Governmental organisations; whether it is business and the forces of development, or environmentalists and the forces of conservation. 

Most important, however, will be the need to make environment protection a people's movement - with the close, participative involvement of the local communities, governmental bodies, NGOs, international bodies like the GEF, industry and various economic service providers. History has shown that all good ideas begin to make the desired impacts only when they become mass movements. It is high time be made environment protection a national and international people's movement. It is in the self-interest of the nation States and in the larger interests of the world we live in, that we leave behind a better world for our children. Since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, many international business leaders have taken the lead in urging the business community to be environmentally more sensitive and responsive. The presence of all of you, ladies and gentlemen, at this first-ever Assembly Meeting of the Global Environment Facility is very heartening and speaks of your commitment to the cause that we address together. During the post-Rio phase, GEF is one of the instruments that has emerged to give effect to various Rio agreements. The restructuring of the GEF in 1994 has given confidence in the vitality and responsiveness of this institution. As the GEF is a unique expression of the partnership forged at Rio between the North and the South, between the UN system and the Bretton-Woods system, it would be our collective endeavour to sustain and strengthen it as an effective instrument of cooperation for promoting sustainable development. 

The imperative of sustainable development places a common responsibility on rich as well as developing nations to concentrate their R & D efforts on three immediate projects: One, all-out effort to harness renewable sources of energy on a large-scale and at a lower or comparable costs; two, development and commercialisation of new materials; and, three, across-the-board introduction of energy-saving techniques and management practices. After all, energy saved is energy produced. Government of India is committed to rapid and sustainable development, which we believe is, the surest way of improving the living standards of our people and eradicating the curse of poverty from our nation. We see strong complementarity between the goals of economic development and improvement in the environment. We must never forget that abject poverty, and all that goes with it, is the worst blight on our planet's environment. I would like to mention here that India has been in the forefront of voicing the developing nations' concerns over environment protection and sustainable development on various international
platforms. For example, it was an Indian Prime Minister who put forward this new agenda in the first global environmental summit in Stockholm in 1972. Since then, my country has been consistently championing this cause. Naturally, the imperative of sustainable development has found a strong resonance within the country, too. As we have indicated in our National Agenda for Governance, we will continue with economic reforms, strengthen macro-economic stability, and devote special attention to the development of infrastructure, agriculture and education. We firmly believe that more and better education, especially at primary and secondary levels, is a crucial pre-requisite for both rapid economic development and a more informed and effective social and legal framework for preserving and improving our environment. We are convinced that in areas such as education, rural infrastructure, water resources management and land use, Government can and must articulate effective combination of social expenditures, appropriate incentives and realistic regulatory systems to jointly serve the goals of rapid, broad-based development and environmental improvements. We propose to establish effective legal frameworks for the protection of the environment, and to unveil a comprehensive National Environment Policy to harmonise the demands of development and environment and to balance the needs of the present and the future. The principle that poverty alleviation and economic development are the first priorities of developing countries must continue to be the guiding factor for all international cooperation. 

The GEF has built on this principle to begin implementation of sustainable development goals, within its area of concern. It deserves our full and unanimous support - through adequate and timely contribution from all those that provide such contributions, and through efficient and meaningful use of the GEF resources by those who receive them. We are proud to be the partners in the establishment, evolution and growth of GEF. Amongst the recipient countries, India is one of the largest contributors to the GEF replenishment, and we have contributed more than any of the other recipients donors. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to this Assembly Meeting in New Delhi and hope that you have a very pleasant stay, and you go back with fond memories of your visit. I also hope that some of you will find time to visit other parts of India and see the richness of our culture and heritage. I declare the Assembly open and wish you success in your deliberations towards refining GEF as an effective collaborative instrument for achieving our mutually cherished goals. Thank you very much indeed."