Joint U.S - India Statement: Environment, Energy and Science Dialogue of U.S.-India Global Issues Forum

India and the United States established a bilateral Global Issues Forum in February 2002, chaired by Foreign Secretary of India Kanwal Sibal and the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky. The Forum has met in October 2002 and February 2003.

Under the aegis of the Global Issues Forum, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs John Turner led a U.S. delegation to Delhi from July 7-11, 2003. He held discussions with an inter-ministerial Indian delegation led by Deepa Wadhwa, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs on one cluster of Forum issues: energy, environment, health and science and technology. He also had separate meetings at Government of India Ministries and agencies responsible for these issues.

The two sides agreed that the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) presents an important opportunity to advance implementation of a focused agenda for sustainable development. The two sides reaffirmed their common belief in the role of the CSD as a forum that can enhance information exchange on best practices and opportunities for capacity building for sustainable development. They agreed to share their successful examples of public-private partnerships at multilateral forums, including at the next session of CSD, where access to safe water, sanitation and human settlements will be highlighted.

The two governments decided to support efforts to enhance science and technology cooperation. To this end, they agreed to discuss a new umbrella India-U.S. Science and Technology Agreement. They felt that the India-U.S. Science and Technology Forum, established in 2000, should be an important instrument for catalyzing scientific collaboration between the two countries.

The two sides decided to continue long-term cooperation in the conservation and restoration of critical wildlife resources, as mutually agreed.

They agreed to further intensify their cooperation in prevention, control and elimination of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, polio and water borne diseases, through appropriate intervention strategies; strengthening the ongoing India-U.S. biomedical research collaboration; and, supporting capacity building and infrastructure development for laboratory research and epidemiology.

The two governments agreed to expand cooperation in developing and commercializing cleaner and more efficient energy technologies. The two sides pursue cooperative efforts in these areas through their bilateral economic dialogue, Bilateral Energy Consultation, MOU on Cooperation in Environment and the ongoing dialogue on Climate Change.

The two sides recognized the importance of developing transformational technologies for clean energy. The United States expressed gratitude for India's participation in the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum in the United States in June 2003, which aims to foster international cooperation in research and development of technologies to capture, separate and store carbon from energy production systems. India will consider participation in the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy, a multilateral initiative for the development of zero-emission hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.