INDONESIA TO SEND TOP ENVOYS OVERSEAS TO TALK CLIMATE CHANGE
The Jakarta Post - October 30, 2007Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian government said it would send the country's top envoys to a number of industrialized countries, including the United States, China and Japan to discuss the world's looming climate change conference to be held in Bali.
The envoys would include former foreign minister Ali Alatas, former environment ministers Emil Salim and Nabiel Makarim, and senior diplomat Sumadi Brotodiningrat.
"Pak Ali Alatas will meet leaders of India and Saudi Arabia, Emil will go to China and Japan, Nabiel will tour Europe and Russia, while Sumadi is expected to talk to presidents of the United States and Brazil," state environmental minister Rachmat Witoelar said.
"Hopefully, I will talk with Australian leaders," he said.
Ali Alatas and Emil are special advisors for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on foreign affairs and environmental issues respectively.
Sumadi is former ambassador to the United States and all four, including Nabiel, are advisors to Rachmat.
"As host of the UNFCCC (United Nation Framework on Convention on Climate Change) meeting, we want the meeting to run smoothly and all parties in the conference to have a united perception in combating the impacts of climate change," Rachmat said.
The envoys are expected to leave for various countries in mid November.
"I introduced the envoys to ministers who attended the Bogor meeting," he said.
"The ministers have promised to facilitate our envoys to meet with the top leaders, including presidents or prime ministers of the countries."
International officials that attended the Bogor meeting Wednesday included Paula Dobriansky, U.S. under secretary of state for global affairs, China's minister of environment Xie Zhen Hua, Russia's federal head of hydrometeorology and environment monitoring, Brazil's state secretary for climate change, and David Borthwick, Australian secretary of the department of environment and water resources.
Rachmat said the envoys would bring together detailed concepts for the Bali conference.
The UNFCCC conference is set to be held in Bali from Dec. 3 to 14.
Some 10,000 participants, including government officials and activists, are expected to attend the meeting.
Discussions already planned for include the need for a long-term commitment on emission reductions to replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012.
Delegations of ministers and senior officials from 36 countries at the Bogor meeting agreed to complete discussions in 2009.
Developed countries would continue to take the lead in reducing emissions while developing countries should included in new targets on a voluntary basis, Rachmat said.
The Kyoto Protocol mandates industrialized countries of annex I to reduce emissions by 5 percent from their 1990 levels.
The U.S. and Australia did not sign the Kyoto agreement and both countries have demanded developing economic countries such as China and India be included in the emission target.
China, India and other developing countries, including Indonesia, have no obligations to reduce emissions.
Developing countries are eligible to tap financial benefits, including through emission trading.
Source: The Jakarta Post - www.thejakartapost.com