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)