Partnership, capacity building dominate multi-stakeholders meeting<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
The governments and its counterparts, the nine major groups,
\nwrapped up their multi-stakeholders dialogue meeting in Bali on
\nWednesday, with the central issue of partnership and capacity
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
During the three-hour meeting, led by Emil Salim of Indonesia,
\nrepresentatives of the nine major groups -- trade unions, NGOs,
\nwomen, children and youth, indigenous people, local authorities,
\nscientists, farmers and businesses -- pushed the need for strong
\naction and action-oriented language in the outcome documents.<\/p>\n
Concrete action was needed to bring to reality Agenda 21 set
\nup in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, as to which all outcomes of the
\nnext World Summit on Sustainable Development should contribute
\nto.<\/p>\n
The next World Summit on Sustainable Development will be held
\nin Johannesburg from August to September this year.<\/p>\n
While touching on partnership, the major groups lashed out at
\nthe developed countries, which rejected accepting the demands of
\nthe developing countries to impose time-bound measures for the
\nimplementation of the action plans set up in Rio concerning
\nsustainable development.<\/p>\n
Dianne Quarless, the committee vice chair from Jamaica moved
\nahead, suggesting the establishment of a supervisory body to
\noversee the partnership.<\/p>\n
The major groups also stressed that measures should be taken
\nto ensure that the government did not abdicate its
\nresponsibilities for sustainable development.<\/p>\n
Some of the major groups, especially representatives of the
\nNGOs, demanded that the chairman's text -- to outline the action
\nplan to save the planet -- outline time-bound measures, so that
\ncountries would not continue to drag their feet when it came to
\nimplementation.<\/p>\n
Demands for time-bound measures have been aired several times
\nby various groups at the current preparatory committee meeting
\nfor the World Summit, but the demands have fallen on deaf ears
\nfrom the delegations of developed countries, especially the U.S.<\/p>\n
The U.S. instead has promoted partnership initiatives. This
\nhas already received a warm welcomes from the business group.<\/p>\n
Partnerships are seen as a vehicle to improve the
\nimplementation of Agenda 21 by involving those stakeholders whose
\nactivities have a direct impact on sustainable development, and
\nnot just the government.<\/p>\n
As of Wednesday, there was no focus and clear thoughts on what
\nthe detail and profile of the partnerships would be.<\/p>\n
However, the major groups would still have time to move
\nforward on the details of partnerships, as the opportunities were
\nstill there for negotiations with the governments, before the
\nhigh level ministerial meetings on June 5.<\/p>\n
On capacity building, a representative from a local government
\ngroup stressed that local capacity building must be promoted to
\nmaterialize sustainable development drives.<\/p>\n
\"Local governments must be empowered so the capacity building
\ndrive is a success. The local government could be a pivotal party
\nto facilitate the local and national stakeholders to promote
\nsustainable development drives,\" said the representative.<\/p>\n
It is a common phenomenon at the meeting that the
\nrepresentatives fail to identify themselves, and apparently the
\nchairman lets it go.<\/p>\n
Concluding the meeting, Emil Salim stressed the need to close
\nthe gap between ideals and realities.<\/p>\n
Emil said he hoped that the contributions of the major groups
\nshould be taken into account by government delegations during
\ntheir negotiations to prepare documents for the upcoming World
\nSummit.<\/p>\n
\"The participants of the meeting, especially the nine major
\ngroups would bring their views on the working group meeting, and
\nin that arena the real negotiations would take place,\" Emil told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/partnership-capacity-building-dominate-multi-stakeholders-meeting-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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