Today we are not only present at the initiation of the work of the Biodiversity CRTC located in Kazakhstan, but we see the culmination of huge efforts Kazakhstan was putting in the field of Biodiversity protection. As all of you well know, Kazakhstan submitted a proposal to the GEF for the regional Biodiversity conservation project in 1994, on behalf of all Caspian states. This proposal was one of the key stones on which the Caspian Environment Programme was built. Since 1994 Kazakhstan has placed the conservation of biodiversity as one of its priority activities. In 1998, a National Report on Conservation and Sustainable use of Biological Diversity was prepared. As a follow up, the National Strategy and Action Plan on conservation and sustainable use of Biological diversity were developed in 1999. The GEF project “Integrated Conservation of Priority Global Significant Migratory Bird Wetland Habitat (PDF-B) is being successfully implemented with national and international expertise, and will seeking full-scale implementation before the end of 1999 to include the sensitive areas of the North Caspian and other globally significant targets. The Biodiversity CRTC located in Atyrau will utilize all of these achievements and will coordinate international activities of the Caspian countries to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Caspian Sea.

We are expecting from this very important meeting to set up a regional biodiversity network, which will be able to address urgent needs in the protection of Caspian Biodiversity. The meeting will also agree on the 3 years work plan for the Biodiversity center and elaborate the structure and contents for the preparation of the National Biodiversity Reports. As soon as the countries will reach an agreement on the biodiversity work plan, UNDP will be ready to provide financial support to the Caspian Countries using standard UNDP rules and procedures. UNDP will also make sure to secure enough financial resources before the full implementation stage of the CEP.

UNDP has a very long history of fruitful cooperation with the ministry of ecology under a strong leadership of his excellence minister Daukeev. I hope know as a chairmen of the CEP Steering Committee he will be able to bring a new constructive dialog to the implementation of the Caspian Environment Programme in General and the Caspian Biodiversity center in particular. It is our hope that UNDP will continue its successful and dynamic cooperation with the government of Kazakhstan.

At the regional scale one of good examples of fruitful cooperation between Ministries of Ecology in the region is the constructive dialog on the development of the regional environmental center. I am very pleased that this center will be located in Kazakhstan.

Permit me to briefly summarize for you the history of the Caspian Environment Programme.

In 1995, when important international meetings underpinning this CEP were held in Tehran, Iran, the political stage in the region was complex. However, given the urgency of the environmental situation at that time, all five Caspian States pledged to work together harmoniously to address the environmental issues, regardless of certain political issues such as the legal status of the Caspian Sea. In other words, the environmental issues require immediate attention and must not await political settlements of certain difficult issues.

Just as this pledge was made four years ago, I urge the countries to renew this pledge. Certain difficult legal and political issues still remain unresolved. However, we cannot, and must not, postpone solution of environmental problems to await solution of these political issues.

Following Ramsar, UNDP worked closely with the countries to develop the Project Brief for the GEF Project supporting the Caspian Environment Programme. As you know, the Project Brief was approved by GEF Council in October 1998. By December 1998, a Project Document had been completed by UNDP, reviewed internally, and, in January 1999, submitted to the GEF Secretariat for distribution to GEF Council.

At this time, the UNDP and participating implementing agencies (World Bank, UNEP) were informed that all three Project Documents had to be submitted to Council and approved at the same time. At the present, the UNDP and UNEP Project Documents await completion of the procedures that the World Bank must follow in order for them to complete their Project Document. As we will hear from the World Bank, we expect submittal of the complete package to the GEF Council sometime in Fall of this year.

Although full activities in the GEF Project cannot take place until the GEF Council approves the project and the countries approve the Project Document, the Advanced Authorisation will assist in moving the CEP towards achieving its goals.

The UNDP, despite the delay in funding, is committed to assistance in the CEP, and looks forward to working closely with the CEP in implementing its Activities. We will work closely not only with the countries, but with all the international agencies, in assisting this important regional intervention.