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.