Earth Summit outlook 'bleak if no consensus'
By Dominic Nathan
Reasons: Lack of political will and money, says Prof Koh
PROFESSOR Tommy Koh, who headed the preparatory committee for next week’s Earth Summit, is lowering his expectations for a successful summit.
Lack of money and the apparent lack of political will to conclude environment treaties with "teeth" seem to be the sticking points.
He said: "If we cannot arrive at a consensus on Issues Involving finance and the forests, then prospects for the conference are quite bleak."
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Ambassador-at-large Prof Koh, who will be part of Singapore’s 11-member delegation to the June 3-14 summit in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, said that if the recently concluded climate change convention is an example, expectations have to be lowered.
The convention, concluded in New York earlier this month, will be signed by world leaders at the summit.
Under it, industrialized countries have to limit their emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, and to protect so-called sinks — forests, for example — that soak them up, without any targets or a time frame for execution.
It also provides ways for developing nations to get financial and technological help from the industrialized world.
The convention is said to be the centrepiece of the summit, known formally as the UN Conference on Environment and Development. Delegates from 170 nations will address issues ranging from poverty to population and from oceans to animals.
On the climate change convention, Prof Koh said: "It has not met with the expectations of many people in the international community who had hoped that the convention would have teeth and contain limits and a time frame."
He consoled himself, however, by comparing it with the international convention protecting the ozone layer.
After that treaty was adopted in Vienna in 1986, the signatories met again two years later and adopted the Montreal protocol. This specified that countries should reduce gradually their consumption of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by the year 2000, when CFCs should be totally wiped out.
He hoped that the same would happen with the climate change convention and countries would gather at a later date when there was a political will to do more.
He was also worried that this lack of will would affect negotiations on financing, which to many developing countries was the most important issue on the agenda.
On a joint Asean stand, an Environment Ministry official at the briefing said that there was no formal arrangement for an Asean position in Rio.
He added, however, that the Asean secretariat will be represented at the summit should there be any informal consultation.
When asked if the United States had been a stumbling block during the preparations, Prof Koh said he wished the US had played more of a leadership role in negotiations on various conventions.
He said Japan, which he described as having played a proactive role in getting a group of developed countries to come together on finance, could play a greater role in environmental diplomacy.
As for Singapore, he said that he was confident Singapore would sign the conventions on climate change and bio-diversity if they met the Government’s criteria.
The ENV official said that following the adoption of the climate change convention, for example, local government agencies like the Environment Ministry, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Public Utilities Board would see how it could be translated into conserving resources, minimizing waste and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases locally.
The make-up of the Singapore delegation will be announced officially soon. Prof Koh said although Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong would not be attending the summit, it was not an indication of a lack of government interest.
His position as chairman of the preparatory committee attested to the Government’s Interest In the subject, he said.
Prof Koh asked by Brazil to chair summit’s main committee
PROFESSOR Tommy Koh may chair the main committee at the Earth Summit.
Every country attending the summit will be represented on the main committee, which will run the proceedings for the 11 days, alongside the summit plenary.
Professor Koh, chairman of the preparatory committee, said yesterday that Brazil had asked him to chair the committee. The decision on his appointment will be made on Wednesday, he said.
Heads of state and delegates from 170 nations will meet from June 3 to 14 for the summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro.
Prof Koh said his appointment could lead to the Singapore delegation playing the role of conciliator, helping to bring about consensus among the various parties on the treaties to be concluded.
He said: "It imposes a certain restriction on the delegation. We will have to de-emphasize our role as a member of 77 and even of Asean, and emphasize more our role as conciliator."
The "group of 77" represents the lesser developed countries within the UN.
Source : The Straits Times, May 29, 1992
Recycling Point Dot Com
(C) 2000 All Rights Reserved