Indonesis to Host Moslem Conference on Climate Change

Jakarta  - Indonesia will host an international Moslem conference on climate change, which will be the first of its kind in Bogor, West Java, on March 1-2, 2010, a committee member said.

Ismid Hadad, the head of the steering committee, said in a press conference at Kehati Foundation here on Tuesday that the conference is the following agenda of the Moslem Seven Year Action Plan for Climate Change (M7YAP) declared in Istambul, Turkey, early in June 2009.

Ismid, who is also the head of the advisory board of Kehati said the conference would discuss three issues, namely climate change and actions Moslems in the world could do and the establishment of Moslem Association for Climate Change Action (MACCA) which is aimed at becoming an umbrella organization to accommodate activities and the implementation of the seven year action plan in various countries and Moslem communities in the world.

The third issue is the planned declaration of four green cities in Moslem countries or the Al Khaer City, including Bogor in Indonesia, Madina in Saudi Arabia, Salleh in Morocco and Sanaa in Yemen.

The four cities'' development will be monitored for seven years by MACCA.

Ismid said the committee would invite around 150 environment experts, academics and clerics from 30 countries with Moslem population, such as the United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, India, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Egypt, Britain and Indonesia.

Fauzi Masud from the forestry ministry said the organizer would also invite several mayors from Moslem countries, such as from Madina, Salleh and Sanaa.

Fachruddin Mangunjaya from the Conservation International Indonesia said the M7YAP had a vision of consolidating funds  from Moslems in the world to be contributed to climate change actions.

Among the programs to be carried out by the M7YAP are establishing waqf bodies in the year ahead to implement their climate change plans and develop green Moslem cities in the world.

The conference will be held in cooperation with several private organizations, such as Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas, the Kehati Foundation and the Conservation International Indonesia with support from the ministries of forestry, environment, religious affairs and the Bogor city administration, the National Council on Climate Change and the Earth Mate Dialogue Center based in London. (Source: Antara270110)