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.