NGOs vow to fight for people's sake at APEC<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): International non-governmental organizations
\npromised yesterday to help make the institutionalization of the
\nAsia-Pacific (APEC) forum benefit business and the masses
\nequally.<\/p>\n
NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region will try to influence decision
\nmakers in the 18 APEC member countries to make sure that the
\nmasses will benefit from the cooperation, M.S. Zulkarnaen,
\nDirector of the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) said.<\/p>\n
In a press conference at the office of the International NGO
\nForum on Indonesian Development (INFID), he said the NGOs would
\nair their views on crucial issues at the APEC meetings in Jakarta
\nand Bogor next month.<\/p>\n
\"Our main concerns will be the responsibility of governments
\nin ending injustices and environmental destruction resulting from
\nthe new mechanisms within APEC, the economic rights of small-
\nscale economies and low-paid labor and the preservation of the
\nenvironment and natural resources,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that NGOs from the Asia-Pacific countries would
\nformulate a country report compiling these issues.<\/p>\n
Among the NGOs which will help INFID in the lobbying
\nactivities are the Bangkok-based Asia Cultural Forum on
\nDevelopment and the Australian Council for Foreign Aid.<\/p>\n
Some 20 foreign and local NGOs will take part in the
\nactivities, which consist of holding discussions in each
\nindividual country and lobbying, both at home and in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Zulkarnaen explained that the NGOs dropped their original plan
\nto hold parallel gatherings during the APEC meetings due to a
\nshortage of funds.<\/p>\n
Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, Director of the Agency for the
\nStudy of Community Advocacy (LSAM), said NGOs would insist on
\nregulating the standards of labor protection in APEC member
\ncountries and see to it that the same environmental issues become
\nthe concern of all NGOs alike.<\/p>\n
\"We have to make sure that certain pesticides which are
\nforbidden and no longer produced in an industrialized country are
\nnot dumped on developing countries,\" he said citing an example.<\/p>\n
Hakim said that the focus of the NGOs' activities are to
\nassure that capital flow would not undermine national sovereignty
\nin the country of destination.<\/p>\n
While all APEC members, as a business community, were against
\nlinking human rights and environmental issues to trade matters,
\nIndonesian NGOs in particular are more interested in seeing that
\ndiscussions on international trade and trade liberalization
\nencourage the recognition of economic, social and cultural rights
\nof the people.<\/p>\n
Zulkarnaen said that NGOs would in the future institutionalize
\nthemselves to become a permanent instrument which would directly
\nmonitor the investment activities within APEC countries as well
\nas its social-economic aspects.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged, however, that this would not be an easy job
\nbecause NGOs were more often considered as \"outsiders\".<\/p>\n
The only government which strongly approves of NGOs'
\nparticipation in APEC is Canada, while China and Singapore are
\nstrongly opposed.<\/p>\n
\"We may become an institutionalized body but we are very aware
\nthat we are in a difficult position. But we are confident and we
\ndo not need money from the business community,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Japanese, New Zealand, Canadian and Australian NGOs are among
\nthose which strongly favor the institutionalization of NGOs.(pwn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-vow-to-fight-for-peoples-sake-at-apec-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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