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.