Following is the statement of UNESCWA Executive Secretary Mervat Tallawy at the first session of the first international conference on “Clean Development Mechanism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” which she chaired this morning in Riyadh: “Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to participate in this Conference organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Clean Development Mechanism. It is also a great honour to preside over the first session. I would like to start by congratulating his Excellency, Mr. Ali Al Nu'eimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the organization of this conference and by expressing my appreciation of the invitation addressed to the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). I wish to commend the efforts of his Excellency in developing the energy sector in the Kingdom and I take this opportunity to commend the balanced policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in responding to the international demand for oil while taking into consideration national development needs. I also wish to congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its dedication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and on signing the Kyoto Protocol and adhering to its requirements in addressing the problem of global climate change. The Kingdom's initiative in organizing this conference is greatly appreciated since it reflects its commitment to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. Ladies and Gentlemen, This session is intended to clarify one of the fundamental principles and concepts of the Kyoto Protocol and to underscore the importance of the policy priorities and strategies that underpin the CDM as an effective tool for addressing climate change. Thorough knowledge of CDM will promote greater understanding of the link between globalization and the development process and highlight the importance of integrated management of natural resources. In this context, I would like to mention some of ESCWA’s activities related to the topic of today's conference. Since the year 2000, ESCWA has focused on supporting member States in their efforts to achieve sustainable development giving priority to water and energy sectors. ESCWA's work programme includes many activities that can be implemented using CDM especially in the areas of: 1- Improving energy conservation and efficiency; 2- Promoting the use of environmentally sound technologies and clean fuels; 3- Organizing seminars on clean fuel and its use for transportation and on energy conservation in the upstream energy sectors; 4- Conducting studies on the abatement of green house gas emissions. I note with great satisfaction that some ESCWA countries have already started to formulate and implement projects using CDM. Egypt, for example, has taken steps towards the implementation of four projects in the industrial sector and in wind electricity generation that will achieve 800,000 tons of CO2 per year in Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). Ladies and Gentlemen, We have around one hour and a half to conduct our session and three papers for presentation. I suggest we give each speaker 15 minutes followed by a short discussion of the paper presented. At the end of the three presentations we will allow for a general conclusive discussion since the three papers may have some interconnected points.”