Antouman Saho, minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, accompanied by senior government officials, recently returned from the third World Climate Conference which ended on Friday, 4th September, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland, a press release sent to the Daily Observer revealed.

According to the press release, Minister Saho and delegation represented the Gambian leader, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh at the conference. "The conference which was attended by heads of state and governments, international and civil society organisations, adopted the Global framework for climate service," the release added. The Framework, the release went on, is envisaged to ensure that every country and every climate-sensitive sector of society is well equipped to access and apply the growing array of climate prediction and information services.

"The Gambian delegation to the conference comprised of: Hon. Antouman Saho, minister of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters - head of delegation, representing the president, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh; Hon Abdoulie Sallah, secretary general, Office of the President and Head of the Civil Service; Lamin Nyabally, permanent secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters; Bai Ibrahim Jobe, permanent secretary, Office of The President; H.E Moses Benjamin Jallow, ambassador of The Gambia to the Republic of France and Bernard Edward Gomez; Principal Meteorologist and Permanent Representative of The Gambia with WMO, Department of Water Resources," the release added.

The press release added that participants in the conference re-affirmed their commitments to stabilising the global climate as per agreement under the Kyoto Protocol and called on the international community to do more to combat change as we approach the Fifteenth Conference in December 2009. "In delivering a statement on behalf of the Gambian leader, Minister Saho, re-iterated The Gambia's recognition of the role of climate in the socio-economic development of the country and re-affirmed our commitment in combating climate change which is a pre-requisite for sustainable development and progress," the release further stated. "In lending support to the framework, Minister Saho reminded the conference of the climate challenges faced by The Gambia, whose past, current and future development endeavours are seriously compromised by climate variability and climate change.

He therefore called on the capacity gaps between countries and peoples and to provide the required support to enhance capacity in the implementation of the proposed Framework, in order to have the desired impact," the press release indicated. "The delegation paid a courtesy call on the secretary general of the World Meteorological Organisation, who hailed President Jammeh's commitment to climate change clearly manifested by being the first head of state to accept the invitation to attend the conference. This according to him, was a key impetus in getting other heads of state and governments to attend the conference," the release concluded.