[NYTr] Brazil's Lula Proposes "Rio+20" to Follow Earth Summit Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:59:42 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit UN News - Sep 25, 2007 http://www.un.org/ga/news/news.asp?NewsID=23952 President Lula of Brazil proposes bRio + 20b to follow on Earth Summit 25 September 2007 - Standing before the United Nations General Assembly one day after an historic meeting on climate change, the President of Brazil today proposed convening in 2012 a summit on the environment in Rio, exactly two decades after the landmark international conference met there to produce the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). bI propose that we hold a new conference, in 2012, to be hosted by Brazil: the Rio + 20 Conference,b President Luiz InC!cio Lula da Silva told the Assemblybs annual high-level debate. The year 2012 is also when the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC, which contains legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is set to expire. He emphasized the need to reorder international priorities in favour of social justice. bIf we want to salvage our common heritage, a new and more balanced distribution of wealth is needed, both internationally and within each country. Social equity is our best weapon against the planetbs degradation,b he said. bIt is unacceptable that the cost of the irresponsibility of a privileged few be shouldered by the dispossessed of the earth,b declared President Lula, calling for industrialized countries to bset the example,b while emphasizing that bdeveloping countries must also help in combating climate change.b Brazil, for its part, would work to protect the Amazon, he said, noting that the rate of deforestation there has been cut in half in the past three years. President Lula also advocated the use of bio-fuels as a bclean energy alternativeb and pledged that Brazilbs bio-fuels bwill reach the world market with a seal of assurance for their social, labour and environmental quality.b On his signature issue of combating hunger, President Lula called for stepped-up global efforts to reduce inequality. bThe final defeat of poverty, however, demands more than international solidarity,b he said, calling for new international trade relations based on balanced and fair rules. bFarm subsidies that make the rich richer and the poor poorer are no longer acceptable,b he said. bWe cannot accept agricultural protectionism that perpetuates dependency and underdevelopment.b Voicing his confidence in the tool of multilateral diplomacy, President Lula noted Brazilbs support for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). bIn Haiti, we are showing that peace and stability are built with democracy and social development,b he said. Martin Torrijos, the President of Panama, voiced support for a renewal of MINUSTAH, but pointed out that further efforts are needed. bIt is essential that the mandate not end before institutions in the country have been strengthened.b He told the Assembly that the structure of the UN must be strengthened, noting that the number and quality of peacekeeping operations had increased in recent years. To ensure that countries do not slide back into war, these missions must cover a broader range of activities. bReaching a lasting peace means more than simply laying down weapons,b he said, stressing that legal and political institutions must be rebuilt, and human rights must be respected. He also voiced support for the conclusion of a comprehensive convention to combat terrorism, highlighting Panamabs lead role in diplomatic efforts on the issue. * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================