Adviser to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, tweeted that Pakistan was elected as Vice Chair of Asia-Pacific Ministerial Forum as 41 environment ministers of the region voted for Pakistan to represent them at the forum in Singapore, which was the host country and chair of the UN Environment’s Forum.

Speaking at the forum, Malik Amin Aslam said, “It is an honor for Pakistan as 41 environment ministers of Asia Pacific, including China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand among others have chosen Pakistan to represent them.”

The third session of UN Environment’s Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific, had taken place from 23 to 25 January 2019 in Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.

The Forum focused on the theme of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), ‘Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production’ -essentially aimed at a joint approach at the fourth UN Environment Assembly, scheduled in Kenya during March.

Aslam along with Additional Secretary Babar Hayat Tarrar was representing Pakistan at the third session of UN Environment’s Forum of Ministers & Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific.

Addressing to the panel at the Forum, he said Pakistan was leading in climate actions to tackle the effects of climate change.

“Pakistan is utilizing its own available limited resources for implanting environment preserving initiatives and is also taking measures beyond its nationally determined contributions,” he added.

He said that the Prime Minister had launched a nationwide Clean and Green Pakistan movement for the protection of environment that involved a 10 Billion Tree plantation drive, Solid and Liquid Waste Management, Total Hygiene and Clean Drinking Water.

Amin Aslam also briefed the panel about the One Billion Tree Tsunami project that was successfully completed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province last year and got global recognition from World Economic Forum, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The Adviser also had a meeting with President of UN Environment Assembly Siim Kiisler and Minister for Environment of Estonia on the sidelines of the Forum.

Moreover, he also met President of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, Minister for Environment of Singapore and Acting Executive Director of UN Environment to discuss cooperation for environment protection initiatives.

UN Environment has finally decided in principle to open an office in Pakistan, this demand was made by Pakistan and followed up consistently, said the press release.