Earth Summit Implementation Plan is 'Lowest Common Denominator'

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday September 04, 2002 22:15 by Pat Finnegan - Earth Summit Ireland grian at eircom dot net

We have to move beyond this limited document

The Irish NGOs representing development, environmental and social concerns, stated that the WSSD Plan of Implementation represents the lowest common denominator and will not deliver what our leaders promised.

They welcome some aspects of the deal including:

* Addressing women's health issues
* Poverty as a key theme of the Summit
* Commitment to corporate accountability
* Deletion of the WTO supremacy clause

Ethiopia, Norway, Tuvalu and St. Lucia are to be commended for ensuring that NGO concerns were addressed at critical moments in the conference. In particular, Ethiopia should be praised for showing moral courage on the world stage at a time of famine crisis in their country.

The announcements by Russia and Canada of their commitment to ratify the Kyoto Protocol are also welcomed.

However Irish NGOs are outraged that:

* The agreement contains only limited reference to human rights

* No greater commitment was made on aid and debt alleviation

* Action against fossil fuel subsidies has been made entirely voluntary. No timetables or targets for renewable energy are in the deal. Public private partnerships for nuclear energy are to be encouraged in the name of
sustainable development.

* Reform of the agricultural subsidies has left entirely to the WTO rather than being addressed within this agreement

* Limited acknowledgement of importance of participative democracy in implementation of sustainable development

* The lack of leadership shown by the EU

Our wish at the end of WSSD is that Ireland, the EU and others working for a sustainable world, free of poverty and inequality, will not be confined by this limited document, and move beyond it in their work.

List of Non-governmental Organisations: An Taisce, Community Workers Cooperative, Christian Aid, Feasta, Gluaiseacht, Grian, Sunflower Recycling, Trocaire.

Networks included are Earth Summit Ireland for environmental NGOs and Dochas for development NGOs.