Sarwono slams U.S. over Rio Declaration

Sarwono slams U.S. over Rio Declaration

JAKARTA (JP): The U.S. and other wealthy countries have been
slack about implementing the 1992 Rio Declaration on environment,
State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said
yesterday.

"The world has yet to see the United States (U.S.) lead in the
implementation of the declaration although Washington is in fact
the most responsible power in preserving the environment,"
Sarwono said.

He made the remarks in his keynote speech at the Country
Assessment for the Implementation of the Rio Declaration workshop
held by the Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi).

Sarwono explained there were only a few countries which had
demonstrated strong commitment towards the declaration, including
the less influential Scandinavian states.

"The U.S. as the leading state in economy, technology and
politics pitifully does not have the commitment needed. The U.S.
Congress has not yet even ratified the Convention on Climate
Change."

Sarwono said one major commitment which has not been fulfilled
was the developed nations' promise to give 0.7 percent of their
gross national product to developing countries for environmental
programs.

Several countries said they were reluctant to give assistance
for fear the money would fall into the hands of corrupt
officials, he said.

In June 1992 the UN sponsored the Conference on Environment
and Development, better known as the Earth Summit, in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. It was attended by 107 heads of state and
government, including President Soeharto.

The summit produced provisions to acknowledge the importance
of preserving the environment in the world's rapid development.
The provisions were statuted in the 27-point Rio Declaration and
the 115-agreement Agenda 21 which covered issues like biological
bio-diversity, climate change, sustainable development and
forestry.

Although it has been more than four years since the world
leaders signed the declaration, in most countries not all of the
items have been ratified into the national law. Indonesia has
ratified several parts of the declaration such as the convention
on climate change and the convention on biological bio-diversity
but has fallen short on issues like forestry.

Reports note the world's environmental problems have worsened.
The Washington-based Worldwatch Institution has reported "vast
areas of forest have been stripped and annual emissions of
carbon-dioxide from fossil fuels have climbed to all-time highs,
altering the very composition of the atmosphere".

Indonesia with U.S., Germany, Japan and China are countries
classified by think-tanks as "countries that should play a bigger
role in bridging differences between the industrialized nations
and the developing nations".

Sarwono also charged the Indonesian business sector with
caring about environmental concerns only when they can profit by
it.

"The private sector's commitment has grown over the past five
years but they only heed short term requirements that actually
give them benefits." (36)