Criticism mount against U.S. in Bali meet
Criticism mount against U.S. in Bali meet
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
Two days into the United Nations meeting in Bali to promote
sustainable development, criticism of the United States
delegation mounted as governments and non-governmental
organizations aired their frustrations over the U.S.'s
uncompromising stance.
Several delegates of developing countries and non-governmental
organizations have charged the U.S. of representing the interests
of developed countries. But some developed countries also
appeared to be less than happy with the U.S. delegation.
"There is a fundamental divide on this issue, the U.S. and a
number of other countries on the one hand, and the European Union
and a number of other countries (on the other)," a member of the
UK delegation, who requested anonymity, said on the first day of
the meeting.
Delegates are negotiating to draw up an action plan, known as
the Chairman's Text, which will form the basis for implementing
sustainable development principles.
Ten years after world leaders met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
pledging to practice sustainable development, economic interests
continue to reign over environmental and social priorities and
threaten future generations.
But as all delegates have agreed to counter this trend, the
question of who should implement what and when blocks the
creation of an action plan.
Stalling the talks, said the UK delegate, was the U.S.
insisting there was no time target in the chairman's statement --
a demand critics said showed a lack of commitment to implement
the action plan.
"Certainly for the EU, we are fighting for the retention of
the target," he said, adding that negotiations were tough.
Head of the Indonesian delegation Makarim Wibisono agreed,
saying developing countries must pile on pressure to push the
talks forward.
He said many developed countries shared the same view of
developing countries, grouped under the G-77 during the talks.
"There is still time to change the positions of other
delegates," he told a press briefing on Tuesday.
Representing the G-77 in the talks is Venezuela, whom several
environment activists have criticized as showing weak leadership
during the negotiations.
Venezuelan Ambassador at the UN Milos Alcalay, said that
reaching a consensus would take time, and that the G-77 was
moving in the right direction without confrontation.
"This is not a document (the Chairman's Text) of my dream but
it will not give me any nightmares either," he said.
Activists, however, are more blunt in revealing their
dissatisfaction with the slow talks.
Delegates wearing tags reading, "What are we going to do about
the United States?" roamed the conference building before UN
security personnel demanded they remove their tags.
"They (the U.S.) are stalling the negotiations," said Maryam
M. Mair, chairperson of the W. Haywood Burns Environmental
Education Center.
A senior member of the U.S. delegation, however, denied
charges that his government was against including time targets
into the chairman's statements.
The official, who refused to be named, also rejected the
notion that the U.S. was taking sides with business interests.
"We are trying to accommodate both civil society and the business
community."
He said what the U.S. pursued was real action plans through
partnerships among stakeholders, and not time-bound measures that
would not be achievable.
He noted he was confident that most of the delegations would
eventually agree with the U.S., so there would be nothing left to
debate on during talks at the ministerial level.