From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: South Accuses North of Reneging on Earth Summit Pledge
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 00:48:29 GMT

/** reg.samerica: 190.0 **/
** Topic: IPS:Environment **
** Written  8:02 pm  Nov  9, 1992 by jbinder in cdp:reg.samerica **
From: James Binder <jbinder>
Subject: IPS:Environment

/* ---------- "ENVIRONMENT: South accuses North of" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: ENVIRONMENT: South accuses North of failing to honour pledge

/att editors: please relate the foll. to 'development: no sign yet
of funds for global environment plan', moved from new york/

new york, nov 2 (ips) -- accusing industrialised nations of
political insensitivity, the 129-member 'group of 77' developing
countries at the united nations monday criticised the north for
failing to respond to some of the world's environmental needs
spelled out at a summit of world leaders in brazil in june.

speaking on behalf of the grouping, pakistan's secretary-
general for foreign affairs akram zaki said industrialised nations
''remain preoccupied with their immediate economic, political and
social problems''.

addressing a general assembly debate on the results of the so-
called 'earth summit' in june, zaki pointed out that the
commitments undertaken by the developing countries at rio
represent ''a historic leap'' into the future.

''we must frankly express our sense of regret that the
commitment to these global goals by the developed countries has
not been at a similar level,'' he said.

he said the solidarity demanded by the new paradigm of
environmentally sound development was limited, if not absent in
the policies of the north, as regards development assistance,
trade liberalisation and technological cooperation.

zaki spoke as the 179-member u.n. general assembly revived the
debate on the plan of action adopted by the summit known as
'agenda 21'. it is an 800-page plan for the 21st century covering
virtually all areas affecting the relationship between the
environment and the economy.

the debate will also focus on a proposal for a high-level
commission on sustainable development to monitor the
implementation of the plan. the commission is to regularly review
and monitor activities of various financing sources and mechanisms
related to 'agenda 21'.

india's environment minister kamal nath said monday the body
should focus primarily on ''cross-sectoral issues'' and not be
country-specific, as this would enable it to be more productive
and avoid controversies. he said each country must be allowed to
set its own priorities and that the commission should provide
financial aid, assist in removing trade imbalances and provide
appropriate technology. (more/ips)

environment: south accuses north of failing to honour pledge /rel(2)

environment: south (2)

''but we would not expect the commission to decide on
priorities within that country or to delve into internal policy
frameworks,'' the indian minister said.

discussions will also focus on funding 'agenda 21' against the
backdrop of proposed sharp cuts in development aid for 1993 by
several industrialised nations, and the lack of any significant
progress in the aftermath of the rio summit.

the estimated cost of implementing the plan is 125 billion
dollars a year in new funding. this is about 70 billion dollars in
excess of existing official development assistance (oda) flows to
developing countries per year. a significant portion of the cost,
however, is meant to come from third world states.

but the figure on the negotiating table now which is being
viewed as more politically realistic is about five billion to 10
billion dollars in start-up costs.

zaki said that the g-77 firmly believes that the provision of
adequate ''new and additional financing'' is an essential
condition for the plan's effective implementation. it is obvious,
he argued, that the financing requirements far exceed the
resources which can be mobilised by the developing countries.

developing countries say additional external financing is
required both at the bilateral level as well as through
multilateral channels to implement the projects and programmes for
sustainable development in developing countries.

at rio, some of the developed countries reaffirmed their
commitment to reach the u.n. target of 0.7 percent of gross
national product (gnp) as soon as possible, while others committed
themselves to reach the target by the year 2000. the united states
(currently at 0.2 percent of gnp) disassociated itself from the
target.

the summit also proposed a restructuring of the global
environmental facility (gef) which the world bank helped set up to
fund 'green' projects in the developing countries. the
restructuring is meant to make governance of the gef transparent,
democratic in nature and provide access and disbursement to all
developing countries without any conditions attached.

zaki told the assembly the gef is only one mechanism for the
financing of 'agenda 21', and that the g-77 ''attaches great
importance to its restructuring''. this, he said, ''must be
undertaken at the earliest, and should be reported and reviewed by
the commission on sustainable development at its first meeting
early next year''.

zaki also singled out two other issues requiring special
actions: desertification and the problem of small-island nations.

the g-77 is looking forward to the establishment of an inter-
governmental negotiating committee to formulate a convention to
combat desertification. it has also proposed that the global
conference on the sustainable development of small island
developing states should be held next june.

environment: south accuses north of failing to honour pledge /rel(3-e)

(end/ips/td/yjc/92)

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