RI, Brazil, S. Africa to speed up Bali talks
RI, Brazil, S. Africa to speed up Bali talks
The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa have been appointed to mediate negotiations on an action plan aimed at balancing global economic development with the environment, in an effort to break the apparent deadlock three days before Friday's deadline.
The appointment came amid estimates by some delegates that a near standstill may force negotiations to continue in the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa -- a notion the Indonesian delegates reject.
The chairman of the preparatory committee meeting in Bali, Emil Salim said on Tuesday that the three countries would call in opposing parties to get them to compromise on a number of unresolved issues in the action plan.
An early draft of the revised action plan was released on Sunday. It is called the Draft Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and replaces the first draft known as the Chairman's Text.
The draft plan, once agreed upon, will be called the Bali Commitment, and will serve as a blue print for sustainable economic development over the next decade.
Emil said that negotiations were already speeding up in the final days of the two-week meeting in Bali. "Everyone knows that negotiations will end on Friday, they know there will be no other day," Emil said.
Delegates worked in groups, and reported the results to the plenary meeting on Tuesday night. One Indonesian delegate said groups that have not finalized talks would be sent back to negotiate.
Emil said that with the time pressure starting to work, the three appointed countries must coax delegates to "show their cards" and make deals.
Their appointments, he said, were necessary as he would be busy chairing meetings for the political declaration for Johannesburg.
South Africa has been appointed because it would host the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg next August.
Brazil hosted the first summit at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which resulted in the Rio declaration.
Several delegates and non governmental organizations have blamed the slow progress on the U.S. delegation's tough stance and its dominating presence throughout all meetings.
Emil said the U.S. delegation consisted of experienced negotiators who would not reveal their positions "early in the game". "The question is now, what motivates them," he said.
Emil said that one thing in favor of the Bali Commitment was that current politics in the U.S. required the Bush administration to at least appear proactive on environmental issues.
President George Bush's administration has come under fire from environmentalists for the alleged heavy involvement of oil and gas companies in drawing up the country's energy policy.
Bush's efforts to open up areas in Alaska for oil drilling operations and alleged interests of a U.S. oil and gas company behind the war in Afghanistan have further tainted the administration's image.
But a senior U.S. delegate said that developing countries were demanding too much from the U.S. and warned against pushing the envelope.
He said that sustainable development should start with developing countries improving their law and order and guaranteeing economic freedoms.
"It takes two to tango ... We will lead the dance but don't step on our foot," said one American delegate who refused to give his name.
The delegate also played down hopes by many in Indonesia that his government would agree on additional aid for poverty reduction and environmental conservation efforts, due to the fact that many developing countries failed to obey laws and regulations.
He also expressed his doubts that more assistance would actually reach needy people or protect the environment.
"The U.S. delegation insists that they will only reach a compromise when the rest of the world considers the U.S. interests," he said.