Bali Commitment in limbo as talks near end

Bali Commitment in limbo as talks near end

The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Uncertainties continued to cloud the fate of the Bali Commitment
in the final hours of negotiation, as its draft plan on
sustainable development remained clogged with unresolved issues,
leading to either weaker commitments, or more negotiation in
Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Indonesian delegation reiterated on Thursday that the
talks would end in Bali despite statements by senior UN officials
indicating otherwise. Several non-governmental organizations
urged delegates not to compromise in Bali for a weaker document.

Indonesian delegate Makarim Wibisono said that as long as
talks were still going on, there should not be fear of a weak
Bali Commitment.

"There haven't been any discussions at all to extend the
negotiation (to Johannesburg)," Makarim said. "The mood here is
that everyone wants to finalize it."

Delegates have been in Bali since May 27 for the drafting of
the Bali Commitment -- an action plan that will set the tone for
the global development over the next 10 years by balancing
economic development with social and environmental interests.

The upcoming world summit on sustainable development in
Johannesburg in August is expected to attract over one hundred
heads of state who will endorse the Bali Commitment with a
political declaration.

Yet the long-standing North-South division in the world reared
its ugly head in Bali. Developed and developing countries
disagree on whether or not the Bali Commitment should get the
backing of new financial resources.

Debates on the financial commitments remained tough, said
Lowell Flanders a senior United Nations official tracking
progress on the negotiation.

He said talks centered on demands to link developed countries'
aid commitments during the conference on financing development at
Monterrey, Mexico, with programs under the Bali Commitment.

Earlier this year, developed countries pledged to set aside
US$30 billion in aid by the year 2006 to help combat poverty.

But Monterrey left open the question of how and where
developed countries would distribute the aid.

A number of activists raised concerns that some of the money
would come in the form of foreign investments and trade
incentives rather than pure grants.

They also pointed out that agricultural subsidies were six
times the amount of the Monterrey aid, and was harming developing
countries, yet developed countries refused to cut back the
subsidies.

The Group 77 plus China, which is the developing countries'
negotiation block, demanded that developed countries raise their
aid levels.

They also want the funds pledged at Monterrey to help finance
sustainable development programs under the Bali Commitment.

Debates now focus on whether developed countries should go
beyond Monterrey or whether the Bali Commitment should merely
endorse the Monterrey pledge.

An Indonesian delegate, who refused to be named, said that the
country would not settle for anything less than "beyond
Monterrey."

According to Flanders, as of Thursday neither side showed
signs of backing down from their positions, while in other
contentious issues, compromises were being made.

Among them is the debate on ocean affairs, where delegates
agreed to emphasize the exploitation of marine life on
conservation instead of sustainable use.

But other outstanding issues, marked by bracketed and bold
paragraphs in the negotiated draft plan, continue to dominate the
draft plan.

"At the rate that we are proceeding at this stage, we may not
have a lot to include," Flanders said.

Given the slow progress, he said, delegates might decide to
continue negotiations in Johannesburg, possibly discussing
finance and trade.

"It's very possible that countries would like to keep things
open until Johannesburg," he said.

United Nations Development Program (UNDP) administrator
Malloch Brown echoed the NGO's calls not to be afraid to "take
the brackets to Johannesburg."

NGO member Antonie Hill of Oxfam International urged delegates
to resume talks in Johannesburg, saying talks on finance and
trade were going nowhere.

"Everybody is waiting for the finance and trade thing, until
that is resolved or unless some movements happen there, the other
step is meaningless. It's not real commitment, it's not something
that's implementable," he said.

The Indonesian People's Forum of local NGOs and groups
representing among others women, youth and indigenous people took
a harder stance, rejecting the Bali Commitment and boycotting the
Johannesburg summit altogether.

They charged governments with excluding their interests in the
draft plan in favor of business interests.

He said outstanding issues in the draft plan of implementation
for the Bali Commitment, had gone nowhere, and were overwhelming
given the tight deadline on Friday.