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media advisory
friends of the earth
international
us undermines united nations environment
programme.
March 31, 2004, Jeju (South Korea) -
Friends of the Earth International today
denounced the US efforts to undermine the
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP).
Some 90 ministers participated in Asia's
first Global Ministerial Environment Forum
that ended today on the island of Jeju in
South Korea. [1]
All countries present at the meeting but
one, the US, seemed united in their
recognition that UNEP is currently too small,
too weak, too ineffective and too badly
funded to deal effectively with the wide
range of global environmental problems the
world is facing. US delegates in Jeju blocked
practically every concrete proposal to
strengthen this UN institution, making the
outcome of this ministerial meeting
effectively meaningless.
Meanwhile, the French government, with
support from the European Union, is actively
trying to strengthen UNEP, with a view of
turning it into a UN ‘specialized agency'.
Friends of the Earth supports the proposal
for such a ‘UN Environment Organization', as
it would greatly enhance the authority,
effectiveness and financial basis of the most
important UN institution in the field of the
environment [2].
“A strong UN environment institution is
urgently needed to ensure compliance with the
numerous multilateral environmental
agreements concluded over the past years,”
said Ricardo Navarro, chair of Friends of the
Earth International, in Jeju.
UNEP does not have a reliable public
funding base, and this one of its main
problems, according to Friends of the
Earth.
“The current dependence of UNEP on
voluntary contributions from Northern
governments and industry is seriously
undermining its effectiveness and even its
legitimacy.” said Simone Lovera,
International Campaign Coordinator of Friends
of the Earth. “As a result, most of its
initiatives to ensure implementation and
compliance are targeted towards developing
countries, while some Northern countries are
much more behind as far as the implementation
of treaties are concerned,” she added.
Ministers also discussed the environmental
dimension of reaching the UN ‘Millennium
Development Goal' of halving, by 2015, the
proportion of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water and basic
sanitation. While Ministers clearly
acknowledged the need for coherent and
sustainable legal, regulatory and
institutional arrangements, Friends of the
Earth deplores that no specific reference was
made to the negative impacts of privatization
of water resources, nor to the threats the
World Trade Organization's General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS), which often
imposes such privatization processes, poses
to sustainable water management and the
implementation of the Millennium Development
Goals.
For more information
contact
Friends of the Earth in Jeju (South
Korea):
Ricardo Navarro, chair of Friends of the
Earth International: +82-(0)16-730-4325
(number valid until Apr. 1st only)
Simone Lovera, International Campaign
Coordinator: +82-(0)18-6964091 (number valid
until Apr. 1st only)
Kim Choony, KFEM/ Friends of the
Earth-Korea: +82-(0)16-730-4325
Notes to editors:
[1] Official website:
www.unep.org
Ministers met from
29 to 31 March 2004 on the South Korean
island of Jeju for the 8th Special Session of
the UNEP Governing Council and the Global
Ministerial Environment Forum.
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