Sikkim takes the lead, joins Global Legislators’ Organisation for Balanced Environment

GANGTOK, 27 May: Convener of the 2nd Sustainable Mountain Development Summit of the Indian Mountain Initiative, Lok Sabha MP, PD Rai, expressed “deep satisfaction” with the deliberations and outcome of the two-day summit.
Speaking to media-persons after the valedictory session on Saturday, Mr Rai underlined that the summit had been “very powerful and inspirational” and that Sikkim has taken a major lead in facilitating the reaching of hill-specific issues to the national agenda in the run up to the Rio +20 Summit. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development [UNCSD], also known Rio +20, is scheduled to be held in Rio Di Janerio from June 22 this year.
“Recommendations and deliberations on vital issues of mountain States will be presented at the Rio +20 summit through organizations like ICIMOD and if any of us from the mountains go to Rio, then we will certainly visit the Mountain Pavilion and participate in some interactions there,” he said.
He mentioned that Sikkim has become the first State to set up a State Chapter of Global Legislators’ Organisation for Balanced Environment [GLOBE] allowing legislators and parliamentarians from the state to work towards tackling major global environment challenges. Globe-Sikkim which has become the first chapter of GLOBE-India was formally announced under the chairmanship of Sikkim Legislative Assembly Speaker, KT Gyaltsen. At present, GLOBE-International has more than 30 countries as members.
Mr Rai mentioned that the setting up of GLOBE-Sikkim chapter was an important outcome of the two-day summit.
Speaking on other outcomes of the summit, he said that Sikkim has emerged as one of the leading entities within the IMI.
“Now, we will be able to connect with all the other mountain states, stakeholders have been identified, people have committed from all the States to do something about the IMI agenda. IMI as an institution will be developing and the next summit will be held in Kohima, and that is also a great outcome”, he shared.
He highlighted that issues related with water, mountain livelihoods and communities & forests were flagged at the summit, and the deliberations will now be processed and in the overall document which will be presented to the PM’s Office and the Ministry of Environment & Forests, the National Planning Commission and to the CMs of all the 12 mountains states.
“For the first time, there was interaction at the level of the legislators, so we discussed the issue of legislation for climate change which is still awaited in India. We have found from our deliberations today that there is a need and I think that Sikkim might just take the lead and legislate at the State level in this regard,” Mr Rai commented.