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December 17, 2009
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Tribute
to Chow Kok Kee My Dear Husband
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Tribute to Mr. Chow Kok Kee - A Man
who cares for climate, and a man
well-loved by family members, relatives
friends, colleagues, workers, co-workers
and respected by all. He has been
popularly known as Chairman Chow
in the climate circles.
Chow
Kok Kee, Malaysia, passed away
on Sunday, 9 August 2009.
His
passing away was very suddenly, leaving
no time for family love ones to bade
farewell, to express our love and
respect again. It also leaves no time
for colleagues and friends to share his
enthusiasm in work, his passion and
knowledge on climate change; and the joy
of his jovial and cheerful moments at
casual times, at work and during
meetings again.
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I would like to attribute this page to
my late husband, Chow Kok Kee, who passed away very
peacefully on Sunday morning at approximately 7.30 a.m.
on August 9, 2009. Without his guidance, this website
would not have been set up.
It is still very painful to accept the fact that he
must go at such a vibrant age, when he can still
give relentless support and contributions to many.
But as his close friend from childhood, Dr. Low Pak
Sum put it, "If you ask for more time, time is never
enough." Thus,
we need to console ourselves with the comforting
fact that he has left us for a better place of
eternal happiness.
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From the UNFCCC, Executive Secretary Yvo
de Boer, dated Aug 10, 2009:
"Chairman Chow", as he was fondly
called, was a distinguished participant
and strong advocate of the climate
change negotiating process. |
In his numerous capacities as Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice, Chair of the Expert Group on Technology Transfer, member
of the Executive Board of the clean development mechanism or head of his
delegation, he served the international community with talent and dedication,
and defended the position of his country with thorough diplomacy.
Highly respected by fellow delegates, he serves as an inspiration to all of
us. We will miss an outstanding participant but more importantly we will miss a
friend. A minute's silence in his honor was observed at the plenary meeting
today, Monday 10 August, 2009.
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“His
sudden passing is a blow to the
climate change community,” said Yvo
de Boer,
executive secretary
of the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC),
“He was an outstanding Chairman, he
mobilized parties on the Kyoto
Protocol, and was architect of the
technology framework. We will miss
him as a delegate and a
friend.”..............
(Pic:
Yvo de Boer, Head of the UNFCCC )
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Tribute to a Well
Respected Malaysian: TheStar Aug 17, 2009
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MARTIN KHOR
Chow
Kok Kee’s sudden passing is a blow to the
climate change community. He was an
outstanding chairman, he mobilized parties
on the Kyoto Protocol, and was architect of
the technology framework. We will miss him
as a delegate and a friend.
The UNFCCC last
week paid homage to a Malaysian who has played a
major role in building the Convention and raising
public awareness of the global actions needed to
tackle the world’s biggest environmental and
survival threat. |
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Around a thousand people in the hall at the start
of the Bonn climate talks on Aug 10 stood for
minutes in silence as a tribute to Mr. Chow Kok Kee,
who passed away just a day before of a heart attack
in his Kuala Lumpur house......
(Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative
Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA)
in Bonn Aug 10
2009 - Opening Session )
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Good friends of Chow Kok Kee, all are
friends working together to bring a better
world, better climate for all the
Earth's dwellings.
( From left,
Chow KK, Bernaditas Muller,
Rae
Kwon Chung, Sangmin Nam, with Dr. Low Pak Sum on far right.
Chung is Ambassador for Climate Change of
the Republic of Korea.) |
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Moving speeches paying tribute to Chow’s
many contributions to the Convention were made by
high officials, including the Chairman of the Group
of 77 and China, Sudanese ambassador and the group’s
coordinator Bernaditas Muller of the
Philippines, the Chair of the Bali Action Plan
climate talks Michael Zammit, and the
executive secretary of the Convention secretariat,
Yvo de Boer.
Tributes were also paid by the US, Japan, the
European Union, Switzerland, Australia which
recounted how Chow also contributed to setting up
the regional alert system on tsunami, the Africa
Group and other developing countries.
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The Typhoon Committee Secretariat
deeply regrets to inform the passing
away of Dr. Chow Kok Kee, former
Chairman of the Typhoon Committee, on 09
August, 2009.
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Amongst his multiple international activities he was
the main delegate from Malaysia involved in the
negotiation of the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol. He served as
Chairman of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and
Technological Advice of UNFCCC from 1995 to 1997. He
also chaired the negotiating group that drafted the
modalities and procedures of Kyoto Protocol Mechanism
and was well known for his capability of catalyzing
agreement among parties.
While Director General of Malaysian Meteorological
Department from 2001 to 2005, he served in several
international organizations, including as member of
Executive Council of World Meteorological Organization
and Chairman of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee. Dr.
Chow Kok Kee has also performed an important role as
Chairman of the Advisory Working Group of our Committee.
The Typhoon Committee Secretariat presents its
deepest condolences to the family.
Mr. Chow Kok Kee : Climate
Change Group
Chow Kok Kee
was a principal Malaysian delegate involved directly
in the negotiation of United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto
Protocol. He served as the Chair of Subsidiary Body
on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
UNFCCC in 1995 to 1997. He is fondly known as
“Chairman Chow” for his capability of catalyzing
agreement among parties. After the adoption of Kyoto
Protocol, Kok Kee chaired the negotiating group that
drafted the modalities and procedures of Kyoto
Mechanism. He served as an alternate member of
Executive Board of CDM in 2001 to 2004. While
serving as the Director General of Malaysian
Meteorological Department from 2001 to 2005, he
served in several international organizations,
including member of Executive Council of World
Meteorological Organization and Chair of Typhoon
Committee of United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
After his retirement in
December 2005, Kok Kee continues to serve in the
Expert Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT) of
UNFCCC. He was the Chair of EGTT for year 2007. He
has provided advisory services to Malaysian and Thai
Government regarding the institutional arrangement
of CDM in respective countries. Kok Kee provides
consultancy to several project developers in
Malaysia, Thailand and India regarding CDM projects
and Carbon Credit management.
Chow Kok Kee
has served as a consultant to Malaysian Government
on the setting up of technical secretariat for
afforestation and reforestation CDM and Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries
(REDD). Currently, he is providing consultancy to
UNDP and UNEP on climate change for ASEAN region. He
also provides consultancy to GTZ.
He has been invited to many
international conferences on climate change.
These include speaker in the Ministerial Environment
Congress for Asia and the Pacific 2007 and Chair of
technology transfer session of the International
Forum on Climate Change and Science and Technology
Innovation Beijing, 2008 as well as speaker in
Carbon Markets Asia Singapore 2008. Kok Kee is a
leading proponent for building consensus for the
continuation of the principles of the Kyoto Protocol
post 2012.
"Bernarditas Muller, the
lead negotiator of G77 and China attributed her
works to Chow Kok Kee on Monday (Aug 10,
2009). The image of Bernarditas when Gary Theseira informed
her on
Mr.
Chow's passing still linger in my memory. You
would know how much he meant to his friends just by
looking at Bernaditas' reactions when Gary informed
her the news. Gary had to calm her and took her out
of the meeting room."
Bernarditas Muller's email:
I agree with Dr. Low Pak Sum that we do this in
memory of Chow, our friendship and long
camaraderie, as well as to his invaluable
expertise. I have very many pleasant memories of
the days we spent drafting decisions, talking over
issues, helping each other understand and solve
problems, all for the cause we all believe in and
are committed to, that of addressing climate change
and its adverse effects and promoting the interests
of developing countries, for present and future
generations.
In fact, the reason that I accepted to do this
seminar is because of Chow, and I also dedicated to
him the work I did for the Group of 77 and China in
Bonn last August.
An Email from Chew Seng
Choon
(ED, BCSDM and former colleague from the
former Ministry of Science, Technology and
Environment):
Even as I join the rest of you to pay my
tribute to Chow Kok Kee, it started to rain
about three hours ago and it's still
raining. Yes, the skies over our beloved
Malaysia is weeping for one special "Anak
Malaysia" who
has passed on.
We have indeed lost a true Malaysian patriot
who made his mark not only on the national
scene but also in the international arena of
climate change where he was recognized as an
expert on the world's stage and as
a defender of Malaysia's interests at those
foray and negotiations.
We have lost a friend who was ever willing
to share and impart his knowledge, expertise
and experience with those who inquired of
him.
We have lost a brother who was always with
his encouraging smile and kind words to
those of us who have been fortunate to have
got to know him.
We have truly lost a golden son of
Malaysia.
There will only be one Chow Kok Kee.
Extracts from email of Elmer Holt of US
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As we
are all now aware, we will no longer
benefit from the physical presence
of our good friend and colleague
Chow Kok Kee during our EGTT
meetings. Although
“Chairman Chow” (as he was
affectionately known by his longtime
friends) may have passed from us in
body, he will always be with the
UNFCCC process in spirit.
When
I first met Chow in 1996, he made me
feel welcome and was willing to
share his knowledge and insights on
technology transfer and other issues
of mutual interest. We became fast
friends and worked closely together
during the “consultative process”
that culminated in the technology
framework adopted at Marrakesh in
2001 that has served us so well due
to its practical foundation. |
During the time when he was the very effective
and highly respected Chair of the SBSTA, he was
always engaged and approachable. He not only
was the functional Chair, but a tireless working
Chair as well.
If I had to identify a key trait that
characterized Chow it would be
fairness in the
pursuit of effectiveness.
He was always sensitive to both sides of any
issue and wanted a “fair” but effective outcome.
As we pursue an outcome in Copenhagen, I am
sure Chow will be helping to guide along that
same path.
| Our
mission is to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions. |
| The path
is renewable and the color is green. |
| The
planning needs
binding political commitments. |
| The
involvements should
be at all levels including you and me. |
| The
solutions are
within our means. |
| The
worrying news is
that we do not have much time to mitigate. |
Further References:
Remembering Chow Kok Kee:
FACEBOOK
Tribute to a Well Respected Malaysian: TheStar
Aug 17, 2009
Homage Paid to a Malaysian Giant at the Climate
Talks: TWNSIDE Aug 17, 2009
Tribute to Chow Kok Kee: IISD Aug 10, 2009
Tribute to My Best Boss Ever:
princesslemonstory.blogspot.com/2009/08/
Remembering Chow Kok Kee: Facebook
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