An official from the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water of Maldives, Mr. Mr. Amjad Abdulla from the was elected to the new Bureau of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) during elections held in Geneva, Switzerland, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Maldives.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Abdulla beat off strong competition from other Asian countries to take one of the Vice-Chair positions in Working Group II which focuses on Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation.
The election took place during the 29th Plenary Session of the IPCC in Geneva, Switzerland, and was chaired by IPCC Chair, Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri.
The IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body created to provide the world’s policymakers and climate change negotiators with an objective source of information about the causes of climate change, its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences, and the adaptation and mitigation options to respond to it. On 10th December 2007, the IPCC together with Mr. Al Gore, was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for its vital role in bringing the reality of climate change to the world’s attention and in moving the world towards a solution.
Members of the IPCC Bureau are elected for the duration of the preparation of an IPCC Assessment Report (5-6 years). They are experts in the field of climate change and all regions are represented in the Bureau.
The work of the IPCC will be particularly important over the next few years as world governments continue in their efforts to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. In this regard, the mandate and work of Working Group II on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation will be very important in highlighting the consequences of climate change for people and communities around the planet – especially in vulnerable countries such as the Maldives.

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