Statement at the Opening

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2008/SOM3/ISTWG/SYM/002

Opening Remarks

Submitted by: APECClimateCenter

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OPENING REMARKS AT THE OPENING OF THE APEC CLIMATE SYMPOSIUM

by

Woo – Jin Lee

Executive Director, APECClimateCenter

(LIMA, PERU, 19 to 21August 2008)

Honourable Dr. Antonio Brack, Minister of Ministry of Environment,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As an organizer of the Symposium in coordination with APEC secretariat and local host, it is an honour and indeed a privilege for me to extend a warm welcome to the distinguished delegates from the various countries on the occasion of our opening ceremony.

I wish to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to the Government of Peru for hosting this important event. Let me also thank Major General Wilar Gamarra Molina, Executive President of National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Perú, and his staff, for the excellent arrangements made to ensure the success of the Symposium. On behalf of APECClimateCenter, I should like to express a word of gratitude to APEC economies for the generous support through the APEC project or through their governments.

This Symposiumprovides a unique opportunity for deliberations on the challenges the extreme climate events pose for the climate prediction community,and for identifying appropriate strategies for ensuring the enhancement of seasonal forecasting capability and application for the benefit of society in support of sustainable development under rapid climate change. The Symposium, therefore, provides a forum for policy makers, researchers, and forecastersto exchange views and experiences on challenges facing their climate information services.

Fortunately, most Member economies have recognized the important role of APEC Climate network in contributing towards improving forecast skill in seasonal time-scale and longer, through the sharing of climate model outputs. As you are aware that the regional cooperation on the exchange of know-how and data information is an important to strengthen the resilience of societies and national economies to climate related disasters, thus contributing to the protection of life and property and sustainable development of nations. I earnestly desire, in this respect, that the Symposium provides insight and wisdom to strengthen further the cooperation with regional and nongovernmental organizations and internationalprogrammes, and also to strengthen further bilateral and multilateral cooperation within the context of these regional initiatives.

In closing, I wish all of your every success in your deliberations in the Symposium, and pleasant stay in Lima throughout this week.

Thank you.