Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : HARARE, ZIMBABWE
Tarikh/Date : 14/09/96
Tajuk/Title : THE WORLD SOLAR COMMISSION MEETING
1. I am sure many will share my sentiment when I
say how impressed I have been by the full commitment
and able leadership of His Excellency President
Mugabe as Chairman of the Solar Commission in taking
the lead role in the preparation for and hosting of
our meeting today and the World Solar Summit to
follow.
2. The agenda before us will not only guide our
deliberations but is also meant to chart our course
of action as well as provide our future direction.
As members of the Solar Commission, each and
everyone of us play an important, if not crucial
role in determining the success of our endeavour.
3. It is evident that the World Solar Summit
process has covered a lot of ground over its three-
year period. The high-quality documents included in
our agenda for both this Commission meeting as well
as the World Solar Summit bear testimony to this
fact. The draft report from the Secretariat has
also described the various events that have been
organised and have taken place. Clearly no effort
has been spared in paving the way towards the World
Solar Summit. As a member of the World Solar
Commission and leader of the Malaysian delegation, I
would like to put on record our appreciation and
support of the World Solar Programme.
4. At the same time, please allow me, Mr. Chairman
to offer some suggestions for consideration of this
meeting.
5. Firstly, I would like to touch on the issue of
institutional arrangements. Let us not be too
strictly governed by the need to put in place new,
elaborate and highly structured institutional
arrangements as a prerequisite to our solar
programme. An obsession for such a practice, often
observed as a U.N. mode, sometimes serves to
distract us from what begins as a good and noble
intention. Let us not lose our way because of the
maze we have unwittingly created; let us not be
overwhelmed by the bureaucratic infrastructure and
hierarchy we impose on ourselves; let us not be
impeded by processes, procedures and formalities of
no direct relevance to our purpose. Rather, let us
begin on a modest scale, involving smaller groupings
and utilising institutional or networking
arrangements already established and functioning.
6. Secondly, Mr. Chairman I would like to refer to
the proposed World Solar Programme. I do realise
that it conveys a consensus of several ideas
carefully thought out and deliberated at length in
several expert group forums and regional summits. I
commend the effort taken to put it in the form
presented to us for consideration. Nevertheless, I
would like to suggest that caution is applied in
selecting only what is best, most appropriate and
easily implementable at this early stage. Needs
vary among countries and resources, particularly
finance, are not always available. Thus,
selectivity and pragmatism become important to
ensure that success is seen and felt early in the
day in order to spur us on to higher levels of
achievement.
7. This brings me to third issue, that is, the
question of funding. I have been advised that an
earlier proposal for a World Solar Fund has been
dropped. While the alternative mode of resorting to
national resources is acceptable, not all countries
are well-endowed. There are also countries where
renewable sources of energy play a critical role in
rural electrification. Let us then not avoid the
need to discuss the issue of funding and the
possible approaches that could be considered.
8. Lastly, Mr. Chairman, I have no doubt that
convening the World Solar Summit and signing its
Declaration will serve the purpose of getting a
commitment from Heads of National Governments to the
World Solar Programme. At the same time, I believe
that the success in its implementation will finally
rest in the hands of those responsible in each
participating country.
9. I am one of those who strongly subscribe to the
notion that `actions speak louder than words'. I
would, therefore, suggest that our approach to a
World Solar Programme should be one that is
essentially action-oriented.
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