You might think of it like this: we inhabit the Earth. And
we must rehabilitate our one and only planet. - Kofi Annan
(14 May 2002)
Ten years ago in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders endorsed
a detailed agenda for saving the environment while tackling
poverty. Yet since
then, very little progress has been made. In fact, many
environmental problems have got significantly worse.
At the next Earth Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa,
governments are being called to account for their lack of
action in the last ten years. Leaders must grasp this second
chance to deliver on truly sustainable development.
Take action: Write to United Nations Secretary General Kofi
Annan to urge him to put the Earth Summit back on track.
World leaders will gather in Johannesburg, South Africa,
this August for the Earth Summit - an event meant to spark
new commitments and action to save the environment and its
people.
However, governments - led by the US, Australia, and Canada
- are selling out. They're working overtime to ensure the
summit fails to deliver any real commitments on key global
issues such as water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.
In a speech earlier this month United Nations Secretary
General Kofi Annan said: "We must rehabilitate our
one and only planet," through the summit. However,
governments have been ignoring this.
Greenpeace, Tribal Ink News, WWF and Friends of the Earth
have written to Mr Annan urging him to use his influence
with Heads of State during the summit's last preparatory
meeting (May 24 - June 7) in Bali, to put the summit back
on track.
Greenpeace Political Director Remi Parmentier said that
unless Mr Annan intervenes to raise the political stakes
during the preparatory Earth Summit meeting (also known
as Rio Plus 10) it would end up as Rio Minus 10.
You too can also write to Mr Annan to urge him to put the
summit back on track.
Mr Kofi Annan
UN Secretary General
UN Headquaters
New York, NY10017
I am writing to you about the on-going preparation for the
Johannesburg Earth Summit because I am concerned about the
lack of action world leaders are providing in terms of delivering
any real commitments to key global issues such as water,
energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity, as you recently
proposed.
I agree wholeheartedly when you say we must rehabilitate
our planet and to your call for action on the issues above
but governments do not appear to be taking notice of this,
which is evident at the summit's last preparatory meeting
taking place now in Bali.
Governments continue to put corporate globalization before
the interests of people and the planet. Governments have
failed to respond to the global call to establish social
and environmental limits to economic globalization.
The lack of concrete targets and time frames in the text
proposed for Johannesburg represents a major setback. The
proposed "Plan of Action", watered down even further
this week in Bali, is a "Plan of Inaction", a
recipe for social and environmental disaster.
The action plan MUST contain four key elements for each
of the five key areas that you identified such as targets
and timeframes; means of implementation and financial resources;
institutional requirements; and monitoring, reporting, enforcement
and compliance.
In 1992, viewers from all over the world drew leaves on
postcards and sent them to the Tree of Life and their countries
leaders, demonstrating their support for the Earth Summit.
Together, we can create an even more magnificent Tree of
Life for the Summit in Johannesburg, in 2002. The TV program,
ONE CHILD-ONE VOICE is a compelling call by five children
from around the world to restore and protect our planet.
It is critical that you immediately convey these concerns
to the UN member's Heads of State and Government, as well
as with the hosts of the Bali and Johannesburg conferences.
Please act, before it is too late.
