Malaysia Allocates US$1 Million To Conduct Courses With Sids - Foreign Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Beginning next year, Malaysia has allocated about RM3 million (US$1 million) to conduct courses and suitable programmes to support genuine, enduring and sustainable partnerships with Small Island Developing States (Sids). Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the allocation would be disbursed under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) for use in the fields of public administration and management, tourism, environment and other areas based on the development needs of Sids. "Malaysia, on its part, commits itself to assisting Sids in the pursuit of sustainable development. We recognise that Sids have rich ecosystems but people are their great resources. "Malaysia believes that human resource development and capacity building are two key elements for achieveing sustainable development," he said in his speech at the General Debate of the Third International Conference on Sids in Apia, Samoa. The statement was made available to Bernama on Tuesday. The four-day conference which began Monday, is themed 'Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States through Genuine and Durable Partnership'. It will be attended by 52 Sids countries and members of the United Nations, European Union, as well as international organisations. Anifah noted that Malaysia was ready to provide technical assistance and share its experience in these matters through the MTCP. Since the inception of the MTCP in 1980, he said more than 2,934 participants from 41 small island developing states had benefitted from the programme. "Apart from conducting short courses in Malaysia, we also offer the services of experts to Sids in areas where Malaysia has the proven expertise," he added. Therefore, Anifah called on the international community to undertake greater political commitment at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes, to address the adaptation needs of Sids. "This must include new, additional and predictable financial resources, and this we must do, because climate change affects not only Sids, but also the rest of our world and our future generations," he stressed. --BERNAMA