Cablegate: Kazakhstan: Second Preparation Meeting for the 2010

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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASTANA 000270

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, OES, OES/S

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV SENV SOCI TSPL KPAO KZ
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTAN: SECOND PREPARATION MEETING FOR THE 2010
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

REF: 09 Astana 02139

ASTANA 00000270 001.3 OF 002

1. SUMMARY: Astana hosted the Second Advisory Council Meeting in
Preparation for the Ministerial Conference on Environment and
Development (MCED) to be held in Astana in 2010. This year's MCED
will focus on "green growth." The meeting presented the MCED's
projected schedule, which will include senior official meetings,
ministerial meetings, side events and exhibitions. The organizers
want to include business and NGOs as partners and participants. The
MCED will have a dedicated website for interested parties to
register online after April 15. END SUMMARY.

SECOND ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING

2. The Kazakhstan Ministry of Environment, along with the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(ESCAP) and the Central Asian Regional Environmental Center (CAREC),
hosted the Second Advisory Council Meeting on Preparation for the
Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development (MCED) to be
held in Astana in 2010. This meeting follows the First Advisory
Council Meeting, which took place in Astana on November 24, 2009
(see reftel). Ministry of Environmental Protection Department of
Legal Policy and International Cooperation Director Alexander Bragin
opened the Council meeting by saying that the Central Asia region is
in a uniquely geopolitical position to further advance the process
of European and Asian Pacific integration. Kazakhstan, as
Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe (OSCE) in 2010, has particular responsibility to promote
sustainable economic development. He said the MCED coincides with
Kazakhstan's own plans to achieve sustainable development.
Kazakhstan has already prepared allocated funds for the MCED and
several parallel activities, and is fully committed to ensuring that
the MCED will be a success. Bragin said Kazakhstan's business
community has also made a sizeable commitment, with the top 40
enterprises collectively investing $1.2 billion toward sustainable
development last year.

MCED SCHEDULE OUTLINE

3. ESCAP Environment and Development Division Director Li Shaoyi
reminded attendees that the MCED has met every five years since
1985. The MCED serves as a forum for all 62 member countries to
review the status and trends of each member state's environment and
economic development, assess progress, opportunities, and challenges
in implementing their prior commitments, identify additional
priorities, and formulate future agendas.

4. Li said this year's MCED objectives are to secure a commitment
to sustainable development, assess progress to date, reduce existing
gaps in implementing commitments, define the priorities and areas
for cooperation, and focus on promoting "green growth." He said
sustainable development is the primary development strategy for the
Asia and Pacific region, along with the sustainable use of
resources, low carbon development, and a sustainable urban
development strategy. He stressed the latter, noting that many
Asian cities have strained and overcrowded urban environments and
uncontrolled growth.

5. Li outlined the MCED September 27-October 2 draft schedule, with
the first three days for the Senior Official Segment, the last two
days for the Ministerial Segment, and a day off in between. The
Senior Segment will deliberate policy and review and approve
documents, and the Ministerial Segment will have ministerial
statements and reports and the adoption of Senior Officials'
reports. In addition, there will be side events and a roundtable on
environmental protection and economic development.

MCED INVOLVES GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY

6. Central Asian Regional Environmental Center (CAREC) Executive
Director Talaybek Makaev said the MCED will include an inter-sector
dialogue on green growth between government, business, and civil
society. It will have exhibitions and expositions as side events

ASTANA 00000270 002.3 OF 002

running concurrently. Themes will include "green and competitive,"
global and local (GloCal) green growth, sustainable ecological
systems, green infrastructure, green decision-making, and civil
society and green growth. The MCED will also include a day of
excursions and an evening reception for all representatives. There
will be a sustained media campaign to highlight the event and
broadcast it to the public.

7. CAREC's Program Manager Gulzhamal Issayeva presented MCED's new
website, located at http://www.mced6.org, which will become active
on March 15 in English and Russian. Interested parties can register
online for the MCED after April 15. It will contain MCED
publications from the conference and other relevant information.

8. COMMENT: It is important that Astana will host the next MCED in
2010, not only because it is the first time for a Central Asian
country, but also because it highlights UN, OSCE, and European
thoughts on Kazakhstan's rising status and leading role in Central
Asia. Coinciding with Kazakhstan's 2010 Chairmanship of the OSCE,
it enhances its image as a country actively promoting sustainable
development. The United States is a member of MCED and will most
likely send a delegation to Astana for the event. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND

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