Sustainable development meeting planned in Bali

Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali

Indonesia will host a ministerial-level gathering of the Preparatory Committee Meeting of the World Summit on Sustainable Development next month, with United Nations officials praising arrangements for the event.

JoAnne DiSano, the director of the United Nations division for sustainable development, told journalists here on Tuesday a UN team was satisfied with accommodations for the as many as 6,000 delegates from 189 countries who are expected to attend the gathering at the Bali International Convention Center (BICC) in Nusa Dua from May 27 through June 7.

The Bali meeting will precede the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 4.

The aim of the summit is to review how far governments have come in promoting sustainable development, and to seek measures to deal with development-related issues such as poverty, communal diseases and environmental destruction.

"The ministerial-level meeting in Bali will be very important. It is not meant to be a talkfest but an action-oriented meeting which is expected to yield political declarations, action agenda and partnership documentation," said DiSano.

She also revealed that it was not merely a meeting on the environment, but an integrated meeting that would deal with economic, social and environmental issues.

Bali, as the host of the international gathering, is expected to reap both short and long-term benefits from the meeting.

"Bali is a proper place for the meeting, where delegates can concentrate in a leisurely atmosphere. They can also learn about different cultures and religions," she added.

Jakarta was initially tapped to host the meeting, but the venue was changed three months ago, with some sources citing security concerns as the reason.

Former minister Erna Witoelar, who will head Indonesia's National Committee at the event, admitted that it was a challenge to make all the necessary preparations given the sudden change in venue.

"We have been involving the Bali provincial government and the National Police, especially when it comes to security matters," she explained.

"I hope that the meeting will boost the image of Indonesia in the international community," Erna added.

According to the former minister, the Indonesian delegation will raise the issue of debt forgiveness, poverty alleviation and the transfer of technology during the gathering.