Quiming, Dorcas J.

Delegate of Negara Brunei Darussalam

United Nations General Assembly

Article 55 of the United Nations (UN) Charter states that the United Nations shall promote higher
standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and
development. The United Nations have been true to this pledge and up until now is doing its best
to sustain development among its member states. In 1960, the General Assembly has helped set
priorities and goals through a series of 10-year International Development Strategies. At the
Millennium Summit in September 2000, world leaders agreed on a set of Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) that aims to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary
education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality;
improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; and ensuring
environmental sustainability through a set of measurable targets to be achieved by the year 2015.
Negara Brunei Darussalam has been consistent in combating global warming in the country. In the
past years, Brunei experienced some unusual and extreme weather patterns. The severe drought in
1997 and 1998 led to forest fires, unhealthy air quality, haze pollution and destroyed natural
forested areas. Moreover, erratic rainfall pattern led to major floods and landslides that damaged
houses and public utilities. In 2009, Brunei Darussalam has experienced heavy rains and flooding.
The heavy rains and flooding have caused businesses shut down and disrupt daily lives. Since then,
Negara Brunei Darussalam has been giving efforts to address global warming.
As a country that is party to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and
the Kyoto Protocol, Brunei will continue to play its role in fulfilling its obligations and
commitments in addressing climate change and its impact. Negara Brunei Darussalam has started
an initiative called Heart of Borneo (HoB) initiative that is comprised of Brunei Darussalam,
Malaysia and Indonesia. The initiative commits the three nations to harmonize the implantation of
national efforts to conserve and manage the forest that is shared by Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia
and Indonesia. The HoB declaration was signed and implemented in February 2007 in Bali
between the three nations. Just this year, Climate Change Forum at the Radisson Hotel happened.
The forum, organized by the embassies of France and Germany and the British High Commission
in Brunei Darussalam, highlighted the importance of climate change issues, particularly in the
crucial run up to the Climate Conference (COP 21) in Paris in December 2015. Brunei Darussalam
invites all countries to implement the following: invest in studies and other helpful elements that
will help prevent the rampant effects of global warming in the world, strengthen policies of each
country that supports the combating of global warming, and find ways on how each country can
contribute to each others issue regarding global warming.
Sources:
About Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from United Nations: http://www.un.org
ASEAN. (n.d.). ASEAN Cooperation on Environment. Retrieved from environment.asean.org:
http://environment.asean.org
Norjidi, D. (2015, June 16). Borneo Bulletin. Retrieved from borneobulletin.com.bn: http://borneobulletin.com.bn