RI insists talks on Bali Commitment end here<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nNusa Dua, Bali<\/p>\n
Indonesia has demanded that delegates conclude within this week
\ntalks on the Bali Commitment, which promises more international
\naid to alleviate poverty and preserve nature, as a near deadlock
\nhas triggered calls for negotiations to proceed at the upcoming
\nJohannesburg summit in South Africa.<\/p>\n
Head of the Indonesian delegation Makarim Wibisono said on
\nMonday that Indonesia, as host of the UN meeting on sustainable
\ndevelopment, must get delegates to agree on the final text of the
\nBali Commitment.<\/p>\n
The Bali Commitment, or the Chairman's Text, is expected to
\nset priorities for the global economy over the next 10 years.
\nWorld leaders will ratify the action plan at the World Summit on
\nSustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg next August
\nthrough September.<\/p>\n
But disagreements on the levels of commitment, and delegates
\nrefusing to make political trade-offs, have left negotiations at
\na near standstill.<\/p>\n
Asked whether taking the negotiations to the upcoming
\nJohannesburg summit was an option, Makarim answered no.<\/p>\n
\"The procedure is based on the UN resolution and that requires
\nus to finalize talks on the action plan here,\" he said at a media
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
\"In negotiations the point is how to reach a deal or a
\ncompromise. You might continue for another 200 years, but without
\nthe political will to come to a deal that will not happen.\"<\/p>\n
Talks on the action plan of the Bali Commitment have entered
\ntheir second week after missing two deadlines last Friday and
\nSaturday. A third deadline was set for Monday night but was
\ncanceled later in the day.<\/p>\n
UN press official Pragati J. Pascale said that Monday night
\ndiscussions on the draft revision of the Chairman's Text would be
\nheld in groups.<\/p>\n
The results, she said, were to be reported on Tuesday morning,
\nafter which chairman Emil would draft a new Chairman's Text. The
\ntext would be presented for final discussion at the plenary
\nmeeting, slated also on Tuesday, one day before the ministerial
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
Makarim said Indonesia would have to compromise its position
\nduring the negotiations if it wanted to finalize the Bali
\nCommitment here.<\/p>\n
He added that compromises could not come at the expense of
\nnational interests, if they meant accepting a lesser gain than
\ndemanded.<\/p>\n
Another Indonesian delegate, who requested anonymity,
\ndescribed this as \"aiming for five, asking for 10 and getting
\nseven.\"<\/p>\n
The delegate said that paragraphs in the negotiated text
\nfacing opposition included, among other things, calls for
\nincreased aid, time-bound measures and good governance.<\/p>\n
Makarim has said that preserving the text as originally
\nsubmitted by the meeting's chairman, Emil Salim, was in the
\ninterests of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
When negotiations started on Monday last week, the Chairman's
\nText contained 100 points and was 39 pages thick. As of last
\nSunday, the text grew to 78 pages, with 158 points.<\/p>\n
According to the Indonesian delegate, the inclusion of
\nadditional points into the text was a negotiating tactic.<\/p>\n
\"They (the delegates) add these new demands so that they can
\nexchange them for others once the deal-making process starts,\" he
\nexplained.<\/p>\n
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also called on delegates
\nnot to force a deal in Bali if it meant caving in to pressure
\nfrom developed countries.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian People's Forum urged delegates to use the three
\nmonths until Johannesburg to work on a better text.<\/p>\n
Hira Jhamtani of KONPHALINDO, a Jakarta-based environmental
\nNGO, said there was still hope for a strong Chairman's Text,
\nproviding developed countries could show their commitment to
\nsustainable development at Bali.<\/p>\n
\"It is not too late to do so. Such commitments can be forged
\neven within this week,\" Hira said. Editorial on Page 6<\/p>\n
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