Delegates representing 161 countries gathered in Buenos Aires for the UN
Conference on Climate Change don't have much to show for their first week's
efforts. Only one thing has been decided: there will be no formal
negotiations about whether developing countries must accept voluntary
standards for greenhouse gas emissions.
Negotiations are slow because certain nations are adept at abusing the
process for their own gain. They're also slow because the UN system is
complicated and their meetings are closed to most observers. Imagine the
chaos if the U.S. Congress would meet behind closed doors once a year in
order to accomplish all their work in only two weeks! Most Americans would
probably profit if Congress met so seldom, but meeting in secret would be
unacceptable!
Within the UN system, the COP-4 (conference of the parties, fourth session)
is the supreme body of this ongoing convention in Buenos Aires. That body
elected Argentinean Maria Julia Alsogaray as president on the opening day
of the conference. Her responsibility is primarily to preside over the
Plenaries (group meetings where all formal decisions are made).
At last Friday's Plenary meeting, Ms. Alsogaray offered condolences to the
Caribbean and Latin American countries that suffered losses due to
hurricane Mitch, suggesting that "Mother Nature" was reminding delegates
that urgent action was needed during this conference. Her comments, of
course, assume global warming and its effects are proven scientifically,
that mans' activities could cause global warming and that the UN system is
the cure. She then called for a "moment of silence." In all, the purpose of
the Plenary was simply to cajole those doing the negotiations.
Negotiations take place in the subsidiary bodies. There are two subsidiary
bodies for this conference: the Subsidiary Body for Implementation and the
Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. There are also
contact groups that are open-ended meetings wherein Parties can negotiate
before forwarding agreed text to the plenary for formal adoption.
Nations are divided into groups for the purpose of "harmonizing their
negotiating positions." The G77/China group consists of 132 developing
nations who are threatening to halt negotiations unless the conference
addresses Kyoto's financial aid commitments for technology. The G77/China
"urged developed country Parties to prioritize the implementation of the
Convention over economic and political considerations."
In other words, give us the money and technology; don't let politics get in
the way. That's the same jargon that President Clinton used so successfully
to cover his sexual perversion by blaming the Congress for arguing about
politics rather than focusing on the issues of the people! (Who learned
from whom?)
If the Clinton-appointed delegates give in to G77/China, then the
environmental issue will be used to transform the world's remaining
superpower into a "paper tiger" under attack by nations that used to be
"sleeping tigers." The last thing the U.S. should do is to provide more
financial and technological aid to ravenous and greedy tigers.
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