Bhutan said Monday that climate change must be addressed within the framework of sustainable development, saying that the issue must be tackled with the right of developing countries to be able to better life of their people.

The statement came as Daw Penjo, foreign secretary of Bhutan, was speaking to the general debate of the General Assembly, which entered its fifth day here Monday.

"Bhutan has always maintained that climate change must be addressed within the framework of sustainable development," he said. "The issues are inextricably linked to development, and any debate on the subject must relate to equity and the right of developing countries to be able to provide better livelihoods to their people."

"The need of the present times is a strong political commitment to be guided by 'good environmental governance.' Our efforts must be directed towards replacing unsustainable practices and creating a low carbon economy through the development and use of renewable and energy efficient technologies," he said.

"Our capacity to carry out adaptation and mitigation measures is also severely constrained by lack of scientific, technical and financial resources," he said.

"My delegation appreciates the initiative of the (UN )secretary- general in convening the High Level Event on Climate Change," he said. "It provided the necessary political impetus for negotiations to be concluded in Copenhagen this December."

"We must now advance the progress of the multilateral negotiations in every possible way to ensure that tangible results are achieved at Copenhagen for the well being of present and future generations," he said.

Bhutan will assume the Chairmanship and host the 16th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in April 2010. "Given the importance of the subject, climate change and environment will be the theme of the Summit and the issue will continue to receive the highest attention of our leaders when they meet in Thimphu," capital of Bhutan, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2009)