Soeharto calls for fair links between trade and environment

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia supports the inclusion of environmental clauses in international trade, but any move towards this should be by consensus and not imposed unilaterally by the industrialized world, President Soeharto says.

"We support the inclusion of environmental conditions in international trade, such as eco-labeling," Soeharto said in a speech marking the World Environmental Day yesterday.

"But these conditions should only be formalized upon consensus. They should not be decided unilaterally disregarding the ability of developing countries to fulfill them.

"Certainly, they should not be used at the expense of hampering the progress of developing countries," he said.

During the ceremony at the State Palace yesterday, Soeharto parceled out awards to individuals, organizations, and cities for their role in helping protect the environment.

Referring to this year's theme, "The Earth is One Big Family," the President said in his speech that the causes of environmental problems vary from one country to another.

"The developed countries face environmental problems because of the excessive use of natural and environmental resources and also their extravagant way of life. The developing countries are facing environmental problems caused by poverty, backwardness, ignorance and powerlessness," he said.

Any effort to make the preservation of the environment a common endeavor should first seek to redress this imbalance, he added.

Indonesia is gearing up to meet with increasing demands for environmentally-sound products. The government has compelled forest concessionaires to abide by eco-labeling rules and ruled that manufacturers must treat their toxic and hazardous waste.

Soeharto presented Adipura awards to more than 50 cities throughout the country for maintaining cleanliness, and the Kalpataru (Tree of Life) awards to six people for their pioneering efforts in preserving the environment.

The Adipura awards have boosted the initiatives of local people to create clean environment in their respective cities.

"More and more cities strive to improve the cleanliness and beauty of their environment. On the other hand, there are fewer cities which look dirty and ugly."

Padang, Manado, Magelang, Jambi, Temanggung, Wonosobo, Bukittingi and Magetan won the Adipura Kencana trophies for the cleanest cities.

Then there were the Adipura certificates.

Semarang, Central Jakarta and Surabaya won in the Metropolitan category; Malang, Surakarta and Bandar Lampung won in the Big Cities category. Thirty awards were given to medium-sized cities, including Cirebon, Balikpapan, Yogyakarta, Ambon and Denpasar. Forty-one won in the small cities category.

'Contact forum'

The Kalpataru awards went to 78-year-old Bahuddin Hi Pabbite from Central Sulawesi for his efforts to save the endangered Maleo bird, and Jevelin Milka Gumolung from North Sulawesi for taking care of sick wild animals found near her home. Both are included in the environment pioneers category.

State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja told reporters that he felt the need for a "contact forum" between the Kalpataru committee and the award winners. This is urgent in view of the sudden public spotlight on previously ordinary citizens.

"They suddenly become public figures and this disturbs their work," Sarwono said.

Sarwono said the Kalpataru committee had a hard time selecting this year's winners because the number of candidates rose from 123 last year to 193, with many not meeting the criteria.

Candidates should be an ordinary citizen whose actions are original. "A really new found pearl," Sarwono said.

"We've had former ministers and entrepreneurs as candidates, and others whose actions were replicas of former Kalpataru winners," he said.

Of the Adipura awards, Sarwono said the problem among cities is in keeping records, "which tend to decrease with changes in top administrators, or anticipated changes."(par/anr)