Summit disarray as EU officials walk out

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 08/31/2002 | Anthony Browne

[Pokey78]

THE Earth Summit in Johannesburg approached collapse yesterday when European Union officials walked out of talks after failure to agree with the United States on the 14 pivotal issues, and the coalition of charities involved in the negotiations pulled out.

Tempers among delegations were fraying last night, and there was growing speculation that the summit was in peril.

Developing nations said that they would prefer not to sign any accord rather than agree to what was on offer. Charities said that the agreement being negotiated was a step backwards, and urged European governments not to sign. After negotiations between officials collapsed, ministers yesterday started emergency talks to see if they could reach a deal.

No agreement has been reached on any of the central issues, including access to sanitation, boosting renewable energy, protecting wildlife, reducing farm subsidies in the developed world, climate change, ensuring that trade and globalisation do not put poor countries at a disadvantage, and improving human rights. Increases in aid and debt relief have been ruled out. Even principles agreed at the Rio Earth summit ten years ago — such as that rich countries have more responsibility to tackle global environment problems than poor ones — may be dropped in the face of bitter American opposition.

The only firm agreements reached are to stop over-fishing and the banning of toxic chemicals, but the wordings used are so qualified with phrases such as “if possible” that the agreements are increasingly seen as meaningless.

The Eco-Equity Coalition, a group of charities including Oxfam and the World Wide Fund for Nature that are involved directly in the negotiations, wrote a letter to ministers explaining their withdrawal: “Although designed and billed as a conference that would serve to put sustainable development at the heart of international governance, we must squarely face the fact that, overall, no significant progress has been made — especially when it is held up to the urgent needs of poverty reduction and environmental protection.”

Margaret Beckett, the British Environment Secretary, hinted that Britain might not put its name to any deal. “Of course, we must ultimately have an agreement — but we can’t settle for an agreement at any price,” Mrs Beckett said.

Tony Juniper, director-designate of Friends of the Earth said: “Most of these talks are simply going backwards. Key pledges have been made meaningless by weasel words. Governments can’t even agree to reaffirm the principles of the Rio Summit ten years ago. This summit could easily be remembered as Rio minus ten rather than Rio plus ten.”

Barry Coates, of the World Development Movement, said that if the agreement was not improved, it should not be signed. “There has been an abject failure of vision. As things stand, not one person’s life or the environment will be improved. A bad agreement is as much a step backwards as no agreement at all.”

Victor Menotti, of the International Forum on Globalisation, a US pressure group, said: “Americans wonder why the world hates us, but the US is arrogant, bullying, selfish, not accepting we’re part of the problem. George Bush is unravelling things that even his father agreed ten years ago.”

The United States is keen that an agreement should be signed, because it does not want to be seen to be responsible for scuppering such an important summit.

Its embassies around the world have been warning Washington of the rising tide of anger at America’s stance. However, it is unlikely that any final agreement will be reached until world leaders arrive on Monday.

• The Pacific island state of Tuvalu, which is threatened with annihilation from rising sea levels, is to sue the United States and oil companies over the effects of global warming.

  It has entered into negotiations with American and Australian lawyers, who have been visiting the island.

  The Tuvalu Parliament has set up a fund to pay for the legal action, and has had talks with other island states to consider the possibility of a joint action.

  Paani Laupepa, spokesman for the Environment Ministry, said: “It is a point of principle: if some one causes you damage, you take them to court. It will show other countries how serious this issue is for us and how frustrated we are that they don’t take it seriously.”

  Tuvalu, which has a population of 10,000, is a series of coral atolls which measure just ten square miles and is 16ft above sea level at its highest point. The islands are already suffering from rising sea levels and the Government has predicted it will be totally submerged within 50 years.

  Seawater now percolates up through the ground, polluting the water supply and making it useless for drinking and irrigating crops. Houses have already started slipping. The island has started a relocation programme to New Zealand, but is worried about losing its most skilled citizens too early.

  Tuvalu is deciding between two methods of legal action. One is to go through the International Court of Justice, the other to sue the companies responsible, particularly oil companies and car companies.

[July 4th]

The Pacific island state of Tuvalu, which is threatened with annihilation from rising sea levels, is to sue the United States and oil companies over the effects of global warming.

Like the US is the only consumer of oil...

[mikenola]

"Developing self-stagnating nations said that they would prefer not to sign any accord rather than agree to what (massive handout) was on offer. "

[ChadGore]

EU is pronounced "eeeeewwwwwww"

[RightWhale]

. The islands are already suffering from rising sea levels

Recent satellite date shows the earth itself is changing shape. Sea level is not rising, the islands are sinking. Tuvalu should sue Mother Nature.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Why oh why do we put up with these "world" summits, when all they really do is get together in a group and argue over who gets to spend how much of mostly american money...?????

[Real Cynic No More]

It's about time we got back to self-rule and conducting foreign policy via treaties rather than establishment of a world government.

[Always Right]

Like the US is the only consumer of oil...

Like the sea levels are really rising....

[johniegrad]

: “Although designed and billed as a conference that would serve to put sustainable development at the heart of international governance, we must squarely face the fact that, overall, no significant progress has been made — especially when it is held up to the urgent needs of poverty reduction and environmental protection.”

Then, they've accomplished more than I could have ever hoped for. Time to go home!!

[spectre]

"Summit disarray as EU officials walk out."

Something tells me the filet, lobster and caviar ran out too early.

[Always Right]

GW Bush has pushed world governance back 20 years and some people on this forum call Bush a globalist. Go figure.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

"THE Earth Summit in Johannesburg approached collapse yesterday when European Union officials walked out of talks after failure to agree with the United States..."

This statement says it all. The EU is essentially admitting that the purpose of this whole summit is to bully the USA. When the 4th Reich failed to do that, they walked because they didn't achieve their only goal. This has nothing to do with the environment, it's all about pushing around the United States.

The EU can go pound sand.

[johniegrad]

Some people won't be happy until we revert to the pre-FDR United States.

[fhayek]

George Bush is unravelling things that even his father agreed ten years ago.

I, for one, am glad that the U.S. has stopped wimping out over all the nonsense that goes on at these international conferences. You go, George!

[RightOnline]

Rest of world tries to climb deeper into our pockets while trying their best to control us.

We tell 'em to f**k themselves.

Rest of world gets huffy and stomps out.

I love it............:)

[Bernard Marx]

Absolutely! And we should welcome the 'lawsuit.' If we approach things right, it's a great opportunity to start telling the truth about 'global warming.'

[Brett66]

It's unbelievable that anyone takes Tuvalu's claims seriously. It just demonstrates the lack of credibility these Marxists have.

[Jorge]

Victor Menotti, of the International Forum on Globalisation, a US pressure group, said: “Americans wonder why the world hates us, but the US is arrogant, bullying, selfish, not accepting we’re part of the problem. George Bush is unravelling things that even his father agreed ten years ago.”

This is such a bunch of BS.
America has been the most generous and benevolent nation in the the history of the world when it comes to helping the world's poor, oppressed and disadvantaged...
No other nation comes close to matching America's goodness.

What this nonsense is really all about is envy and resentment over America's wealth, power and prosperity. World class poverty pimps and anti-capitalists preaching irresponsibility and attempting to blame America for all their problems...all in an attempt to extort money from America.
That's it.

[demlosers]

GW Bush has pushed world governance back 20 years and some people on this forum call Bush a globalist. Go figure

Yup Bush is no globalist. I think some people get confused when Bush supports free world trade and equate that to globalism, which is an euphemism for socialism.

[tall_tex]

It is called in todays PC world "to have an intimate reasonship with yourself". You got'em figured out all you have to do is clean up your language. But I could not have said what you said any better, of course PC... Go figure