RI backs dialog on biodiversity, wants consensus

RI backs dialog on biodiversity, wants consensus

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, host to an ongoing international biodiversity discussion, is happy with the progress achieved in the talks, including that in relation with the contentious rules on genetic engineering.

Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, who chairs the Second Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity, said yesterday that Indonesia hopes to encourage dialog for further consensus on environmental commitment.

The talks, which entered the fourth day yesterday and will run to Nov. 17, follow last year's first conference in the Bahamas. Participants are seeking ways to implement the Convention, issued at the 1992 Earth Summit.

The positive outcome so far includes an almost-reached consensus on the need for internationally binding procedures for genetic engineering, known as the "biosafety protocols".

Also, the four countries competing to be the location of the future secretariat of the Convention, have agreed that a decision on the question must be made here.

The countries are Canada, Kenya, Spain and Switzerland.

Sarwono said most countries' position on many issues covered in the talks, such as intellectual and community property rights, may still evolve and change. He linked this with the fact that many of the governments only ratified the Convention last year.

Therefore, a consensus on details may well be difficult to reach, he said. One of the reasons is the fact that many issues, such as the need to assess the safety of genetically engineered products entering the market, are new to the governments.

"We know a biosafety protocol is important, but not everyone of us understand these things yet," he said.

Indonesia's position on many of the issues, he said, "is to encourage dialog and ensure every party can express their views".

The Conference provides the opportunity "to get to know each other's views better".

Sarwono has repeatedly encouraged the participation of non- governmental organizations (NGOs). He promised yesterday to seek additional rooms for their activities at the conference site.

The place for a discussion featuring representatives of indigenous groups, held by local NGOs called the BioForum 95, had to be moved three times yesterday because of space limitations.

Some 40 international, foreign and local NGOs are participating as observers in the event, organizing talks and exhibits.

Responding to questions about Indonesia's follow-up to the Conference, Sarwono said a team of experts is already working on a draft plan of action.

The recommendations will aim at preparing all sectors to support environmental commitment, he said.

For instance, most government institutions will have to be involved in the campaign to prepare necessary instruments to avoid unsafe entry of genetically engineered products, he said.

He named as examples of the institutions the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology and the Indonesian Institute of Science.

Yesterday's talks moved to marine and coastal biodiversity, with participants agreeing on the need to establish an intergovernmental panel of experts on the issues.

"This will be the first intergovernmental body focused on a specific issue of the Convention," according to executive secretary of the Convention Calestous Juma of Kenya.

The body will first demonstrate governments' commitments on one of the world's most serious environmental issues, he said.

Second, it will enable further meetings to accept major decisions quickly with the support of the organized experts, Juma said.

The participating NGOs made their presence felt yesterday by airing their views through a number statements.

One from more than 100 NGOs from 24 countries called for world fisheries reforms. It said, among other things, "Many countries have pursued policies designed to maximize export earnings and fisheries production, often under pressure to service foreign debt, and often to the detriment of fish stocks, marine biodiversity and coastal communities".

The proposed actions include requirements of selective techniques to reduce unintentional fish catches and waste.

In addition to the 80 to 85 million tons of fish landed annually, the most conservative estimate of unintentional catches of fish and waste indicate that 17 to 39 million tons of fish are caught and discarded every year, the NGO said.

The Biodiversity Action Network, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Conservation Union, called for the establishment of a cooperation among all international instruments and institutions on coastal and marine biodiversity, to start in the ongoing meeting. (anr)

Editorial -- Page 4