David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, at the International Symposium on Funding Science and People Cooperation for a Prosperous Belt and Road. Photo: NSFC

Molden addressed the importance of South-South learning to common regional mountain issues such as climate change and adaptation, mountain hazards and risk reduction, clean energy and green technology, and transboundary conservation and development. He pointed out that promoting scientific research on mountains through active cooperation across countries will create more co-benefits than science alone will. It will create opportunities for cooperation across and beyond ICIMOD member countries and be greatly supportive to the implementation of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the HKH, which is one of the key objectives of the One Belt and One Road initiative.

During the opening plenary session, following the welcome remarks delivered by Yang Wei, the President of NSFC, Liu Congqiang, the Vice President of NSFC, presented a keynote speech about the action plan for the Belt and Road Funding Framework (BRFF) for science and people cooperation, and explained its purpose, governance, mechanism, and programmes. A joint declaration on Funding Science and People Collaboration for a Prosperous Belt and Road has been proposed and is up for further discussion.

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