'The Summit Has Been Privatized,' Say NGOs

By Maria Laura Mazza

Leaders from Latin American civil society have expressed doubt about the final outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), but seem optimistic about the initiatives put forth by community and national non-governmental organizations.

"Our expectations are not focused on the Summit, but elsewhere," because "what has been meaningful is taking place in individual countries and in communities," said the Argentine-born Nicolas Lucas, with the Washington-based World Resources Institute.

The WSSD is taking place in Johannesburg 10 years after the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, whose action plan is still far from being fulfilled. For this reason, activists and governments agree that it does not make sense to set new objectives, but to carry out the ones that were already agreed upon.

"We didn't come here to move the Rio principles further but to defend them," said Jorge Capato, direction of the foundation Proteger (Protect) of Argentina.

Marcelo Furtado, of Greenpeace-Brazil, stressed that "the challenge is to make the negotiators understand that they are not negotiating a piece of paper but that the objective is to change people's lives," and "only this change will make the Summit a success."

According to Furtado, the general view of the Summit is pessimistic because the United Nations has been "privatized" by the most powerful countries and because "the world today is an association of small interest groups."

The main objective of the environmentalists is for multinational companies to take responsibility for their destructive actions around the world through uniform, ironclad treaties.

Because of the lack of such treaties, many companies behave a certain way in the United States, another way in Africa, and another way in Asia, Furtado pointed out.

On indigenous issues, Sebastiao Manchineri, leader of the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, noted that his organization is working at the Summit to achieve territorial security, respect for human rights, self-determination and protection of the environment of the native communities.

Nevertheless, the leader doubts that the Summit's final policy declaration will include any special reference to the protection of indigenous rights.

Asked by Tierramérica about U.S. efforts to approve patents for medicines that have been used by aboriginal communities for centuries, Manchineri said, "At this Summit surely there will be discussions about patents, property and ancestral knowledge."

Unfortunately, he added, "we are sure that the governments will not pay attention to this problem, but we will continue to bring it to the world's attention."

Marianela Curi, of the Bolivian Environmental Defense League, is equally skeptical of the negotiations taking place at the Convention Center of Sandton, a posh Johannesburg suburb.

"I am not optimistic because there is a lack of political will and ethics, which is a fundamental problem," and this is reflected in the worsening of poverty and the degradation of the environment in recent years, she said.

Leaders of Latin American civil society presented their vision at a press conference for Spanish-speaking media, which took place in the environmental center of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) in Johannesburg. (END)