Delegates push ahead for partnership<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Representatives of governments, non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs), businesses and multilateral organizations assembled
\ntogether here on Tuesday for a multi-stakeholders meeting to
\npromote sustainable development through partnerships among the
\nstakeholders.<\/p>\n
However, the consenting parties were still debating on the
\ndetails of the partnerships. And they were working on these
\ndetails so that the partnership initiative would be ready for
\nendorsement by world leaders at the upcoming World Summit on
\nSustainable Development in Johannesburg in August and September.<\/p>\n
Jan Kara, vice chairman of the preparatory committee meeting
\nfor the Johannesburg Summit, said that the meeting's participants
\nagreed to pursue partnerships since governments could not work
\nalone in dealing with the sustainable development drive.<\/p>\n
\"The views and roles of all stakeholders are needed to help in
\ndealing with the issues of sustainable development,\" Kara told
\nThe Jakarta Post, after chairing the main meeting held at the
\nBali International Convention Center.<\/p>\n
The stakeholders meetings on Tuesday focused on two separate
\nissues, first on the framework for a partnership initiative and
\non capacity building for sustainable development.<\/p>\n
David Kaimowitz, director general of the Center for
\nInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR), supported the
\npreliminary outcome of the main multi-stakeholders meeting, that
\nwas pursuing partnerships.<\/p>\n
He said that each sector should cooperate to support
\nsustainable development efforts, otherwise it would fail.<\/p>\n
\"CIFOR could work together with international organizations
\nsuch as the World Bank to deal with sustainable development
\nmatters, to complement our expertise.\"<\/p>\n
\"This meeting provides us an opportunity to build such a
\npartnership,\" said Kaimowitz, after chairing a side meeting held
\nby the UN Forum on Forest Secretariat at BICC entitled
\n'Collaborative Partnership on Forests.'<\/p>\n
Kaimowitz added that the problems of sustainable development,
\nincluding deforestation, could not be solved by one party only.<\/p>\n
Many parties, with different interests, are involved in
\ndeforestation. Local people exploit the forest for their
\nagriculture needs, while other people want to maintain
\nbiodiversity in the forest.<\/p>\n
\"The failure to cooperate would spark conflicts between
\nstakeholders, which could end up into violence. Therefore,
\ndialogs and partnership are needed to deal with the problems,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Despite the optimism over the initiative which will be brought
\nto the World Summit, the debate remained intense among the
\ndeveloped and the developing countries.<\/p>\n
According to Kaimowitz, developing countries are worried that
\ndeveloped countries would merely use partnership as a weapon to
\navoid any real commitments, with time-bound measures, to
\nimplement sustainable development.<\/p>\n
\"Developing countries want to see real and concrete support,
\nnot just the partnership to be announced,\" said Kaimowitz.<\/p>\n
Developing countries have demanded that time-bound measures
\nshould be produced from the fourth preparatory committee meeting
\nfor the World Summit on Sustainable Development here. Then,
\npartnerships should be drawn to achieve those time-bound
\nmeasures.<\/p>\n
Failure to produce such time-bound measures, according to
\ndeveloping countries as well as civil society groups, would just
\nrepeat the failure of countries to implement Agenda 21, which
\ndoes not have any time table for implementation.<\/p>\n
According to a dialog paper produced by NGOs for the stake-
\nholder dialogue, the promotion of partnerships, without any time-
\nbound agreement, could result in governments evading any
\nmeaningful commitment to sustainable development.<\/p>\n
\"Governments and the United Nations cannot relegate the vital
\ngoal of sustainable development to largely voluntary initiatives,
\nespecially since the current emphasis is on global private-public
\nsector partnerships,\" the paper said.<\/p>\n
The reality, according to NGOs, is that private corporations
\nare a major part of the problems of unsustainable development.
\nCorporate accountability and regulations are needed, and not
\nfurther expansion of corporate rights.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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