newsitems Copenhagen UN Summit on Climate change : From "Global Warming" to "Global O. Wanted" ?
Copenhagen UN Summit on Climate change : From "Global Warming" to "Global O. Wanted" ?
* Copenhagen/Angelo Marcopolo/- The urgent need for a Global Organization able to tackle vital issues for all Humanity, in a democratic but also efficient way, was never before so obvious as in the strange semi-conclusion at the Copenhagen UNO Summit of some 120 Heads of State or Government on Climate Change.
Officially, the UN Conference, after a sudden standstill while intense informal negotiations were going on at Top level, and a strange, endless night from Friday to Saturday (18 to 19 December 2009), was obliged to simply "take note" of a "political" "Copenhagen Agreement", which had been anounced to Journalists (including "EuroFora") by French President Sarkozy, US President Obama, Chinese Premier Jiabao, and Russian President Medvedev, earlier, from Friday evening, while several "Drafts" had started to circulate at the '"Bella Center" Press Room. (See earlier "EuroFora"s news).
But a Group of developing Countries loudly denounced this deal, as well as most actors on Environment issues. Many hours after French President Sarkozy had given a Critical Support, in coordination with German Chancellor Merkel and others, the EU did not hide its "disappointment", compared to Europe's and Scientists' expectations, but said that it preferred to have at least a partial Global deal, instead of nothing, according to Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeld and EU Commission's President Barroso,
Sarkozy, speaking earlier to Journalists including "EuroFora" at Copenhagen almost at the same time that Obama did, stressed that for the 1st time, US and China take some political and insufficient, but real commitments to struggle against Climate Change, in order to limit Temperature rise at less than 2 degrees, while in the Past they had stayed out of the movement. Moreover, all Countries are invited to present briefly a list of concrete commitments they undertake in an annualy reviewed Appendix, and certain measures to protect and promote Forests, (a point on which he had strongly insisted since his May 2009 visit at Urmatt, near Strasbourg : See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/sarkozyforests.html ). In addition, all the countries involved agreed to prepare a binding text the soonest.
It's true, however, and highly regrettable, that there is no legally binding text, nor a Time Deadline of 1 year in order to obtain one. Nor concretre commitments on the CO2 Emmission cuts per country, or on how to share financial aid to developing nations. And the proposal to create an International Organization for the Environment was skipped, leaving open the Question on "who will Monitor the commitments ?"
But Sarkozy replied to those who claimed that Europe should not have accepted such a text, that, otherwise, the USA, China, and others would remain without any commitment, undertaken inside a collective process, to act against Climate Change, as they were in the Past. On the contrary, now, for the 1st time, it was together with USA, China, and other notoriously hesitant countries, that the international community could start to act.
Nevertheless, Sarkozy was among those who reiterated a strong criticism against a cumbersome way to proceed inrto decision-making inside the UNO's usual process, where unanimity may give occasions to a minority to block progress, while, at the same time, the absence of many important countries and/or GeoPolitical areas at UNO's SC made it lack a large enough representativity- "Something has to change in the way to take decisions !", the French President stressed,
Observers noted that except from an apparent U-turn in Brazil's stance, (probably due also to the fact that USA's Obama agreed to propose some Financial measures to support Forests, even if less than what had been initially proposed by Sarkozy), it seems that it was mainly USA's and China's eagerness not to become isolated in their Past refusals vis aé vis EU's "advanced" positions against Climat Change, reportedly supported also by Russia, many developing Countries, the Ecological movement, etc, that made Obama and Jibiao start to move at last a bit.
Naturally, after Obama, who is the 1st US President to clearly acknowledge Global Warming, heard earlier at Copenhagen even a British Socialist, as CoE's Rapporteur on Climate Change, former deputy Prime MInister John Prescott, an experienced former Kyoto negotiator, strongly denounce the fact "the US emits 20 tonnes of CO2 per Person a Year compared to about 6 tonnes for China, 2 for India and less than 1 for Africa", and "has a GDP per Person 7 times higher than China", while "the ..UN principle" is that "the polluter pays", because, otherwise, "the possibility of an agreement between rich and poorer countries" would become much more difficult", this obviously incited the US to avoid more criticism by brokering a fast deal.
(PHOTO : This is as far as Journalists at UNFCCC had a chance to see Obama : Except from a late Video, and some US Officials' briefings far away from the Press Room at the other side of Bella Center, suddenly the new US President unexpectedly crossed the upper corridor at the Press Conference room, but at such a fast pace that almost nobody had the time to at least take a Photo...)
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Thus, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's, and German Chancellor Merkel, might have been right, in their attempts to make Europe's proposals lead in the World against Climate Change, while also welcoming even insufficient 1st moves from USA and other countries, which need strong diplomatic struggles in order to gain in substance during the next few years, and in particular on 2010, when the next UN FCCC's Summit at Mexico will be prepared by e bi-weekly Top meeting at Bonn, Germany. (Comp. relevant "Eurofora"'s correspondence from Brussels : EU Summit).
Meanwhile, EU reportedly decided to create a European Organization for the protection of the Environment, "open to participation from all other willing 3rd Countries", Sarkozy anounced.
Given Russia's "constructive attitude", as the French President acknowledged, the PanEuropean CoE might give a usefull Contribution in this direction, considering also the fact that USA, Canada, Japan and Mexico already have a Special Status at the CoE, where China could, perhaps, find in Climate a way to gain a Status for which Sport and Olympic games were not enough. Central Asian Countriess as Kazakhstan, etc, already started to develop links, while CoE's "North-South" Center, located at Lisbon, could foster useful links also on Climate Change with South-Mediterranean and African Countries, as well as the Middle-East, Asia, etc. Recent moves such as in order to crreate a "Human Right to a Healthy Environment", etc, pave a way.
Meanwhile, illustrating the current problems, an impressive single long quew formed by hundreds of delegates, NGOs, Journalists, staff, etc., desperaely trying to reach a sandwich and a coffee in a suddenly deserted huge area, at Copenhagen's Bella Center, which was previously full of people, Events, Cafés, Snacks, and "fresh natural diet" Restaurants of any kind, Computers, etc., before main political actors agreed a compromise and left the giant "Bella Center" complex at the outskirts of a snowy Copenhagen, was the only sign of life from 10 p.m. up to 4 o' clock in the "morning" of this too long Night between Friday 18th and Saturday19th of December 2009, until UNFCCC was reportedly limited into merely "taking note" of the "Accord" brokered one day earlier by a group of countries...
UNO's Secretary General, ''Ban Ki Moon was due to clarify the position of UNO, after some short statements at Copehagen, and indicatze the road lying for 2010 with a full Press Confference at New York, his new Spokesperson, Martin Nesirsky told "EuroFora".
Nesirsky observed that "the SG is due to focus on Copenhagen's outcome, but, he's also willing give more support to the Millenium Goals on Development. In fact, there ia link between Climate Change and Development, since, in general, it's the poorest Countries who suffer the most from Climate Change", the New UNO SG's Spokesman told "EuroFora".
But, meanwhile, the exceptional Extreme Weather phenomena which suddenly stroke Europe and USA at the aftermath of Copenhagen's UN Summit on Climat Change, with SnowStorms of rare intensity, (See other related NewStory), was a crystal-clear indication that the need to take care of Natural Environmennt and of Planet Earth's Climate, is more urgent.
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An "Eugenic" loophole Amendment, which might expose to Dangers reminiscent of "3rd Reich's" notorious Genetic Abuses, hidden at the last minute inside an otherwise Good, larger Health policy Package scheduled to be voted on Thursday, was strongly denounced by a coalition of MEPs from various Political Groups and Countries, in a Press Conference held this afternoon at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.
Mainly calling to "Select Human Embryos", via "Genetic Counselling" and "pre-implantation" Techniques including "Genetic Tests", in order to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", it might open ways to Dangerous Practices in Future, they denounced in substance.
But they also made it clear that a much larger Report inside which this Controversial Amendment "No 15" was added in dubious circumstances, officialy destinated to struggle against "Rare Diseases", and drafted by Professor Antonios Trakatellis, was otherwise "an Excellent Report", aiming at a "completely Uncontroversial target" of Health policy on which "all MEPs and Experts are united, believing that Europe should act" to protect People's Health (See "EuroFora"'s earlier News).
The controversy came at a particularly delicate moment for the EU in relation to Citizens, at the eve of June 2009 EU Elections, and shortly before Ireland re-votes for "Lisbon Treaty"..
- Denouncing risks of "an Eugenic demand, very similar to what we had during the 3rd Reich in Germany, but now coming from some Scientisists themselves", German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Dr. Peter Liese stressed that critical MEPs were against "Eugenic" engineering with "Selection of Human Embryos", and anything which might ultimately lead up to to a "Selection of Human Race". It doesn't help to "eradicate" Human Lives, he added.
Several Experts and NGOs expressed "Deep Concern", as f;ex. DR M.C. Cornel of the "European Society of Human Genetics", which stressed, on this occasion, that "the importance of Non-Directiveness in Reproductive issues is a Central characteristic of Human Genetics, after the Atrocities committed in the name of Genetics in the first half or the 20th Century".
- "This is completely Unacceptable", stressed Italian Liberal MEP Vittorio Prodi, on the Controversial Amendment, also because pushes to "eliminate early Human Life", as he noted.
- "This opens a Dangerous Road, rather a Motorway", denounced Danish MEP Mrs Margrette Auken, from the "Greens", observing that various similar attempts were made in the Past "not only in Germany, but also in several other Countries, "even at the 1970ies", "f.ex. on forced Sterilisation of Roma" People, and other criticisable situations f.ex. in the UK, in Sweden, etc. as she said.
+ Other NGOs, as f.ex. "LebenHilfe" from Berlin, added that, among various other Risks, could also be that, by exploiting the pre-implantation Genetic Diagnostics and the Selection of "healthy" Embryos, some may "propagate" several "Eugenic" aims, starting f.ex. by pushing to eradicate Human Livies which might "Cost too much" to preserve, ultimately exposing to dangers reminiscent of the "3rd Reich"'s atrocious abuses.
In consequence, ChristianDemocrats/EPP and "Green" MEPs "decided by Majority to vote against" this Controversial Amendment, anounced to Journalists the 5 MEPs who participated in the Press Conference, representing a wide spectrum, from Liberals to "Greens" and ChristianDemocrats, and from Hungary, Italy, Germany and Danemark up to Ireland (Gay Mitchell), etc.
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Hungarian ChristianDemocrat MEP Laszlo Surjan said "that it was "Suddenly, at the End of the Procedure" in Committee, that "appeared this (Controversial) Amendment, which has nothing to do" with the main purpose of the Report, on which all agreed.
He denounced an "Unhonest" move, and called to "avoid this kind of unacceptable situations". Nobody should "Select People", Surjan stressed.
- "We (MEPs) had No Chance to Discuss" this last-minute Amendment earlier added at a Committee's level, said German MEP Peter Liese
Speaking to "EuroFora", Dr. Liese, the Spokesman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group in EU Parliament, said that MEPs didn't oppose other references of the Report f.ex. on "Genetic Tests", because they were "no proposals" to impose them, while, on the contrary, there was "a Problem" if anyone attempted to "impose" f.ex. this or that Genetic Technique and "Genetic Counselling", etc. to the People on human reproduction.
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The precise Text :
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Controversial parts of Amendment No 15 ask mainly "to lead finally to the Eradication" of "Hereditary" "rare diseases", "through Genetic Counselling .., and ..pre-Implantation Selection of healthy Embryos".
But EU Rapporteur Professor Trakatellis, said to "EuroFora" that fears should be alleviated by Guarantees that all this should be done only "where appropriate", when it's "not contrary to existing National Law", and "always on a Voluntary basis", according to other Parts of the Amendment.
He stressed that the main aim was to allow "a free and informed choice of persons involved", without imposing them anything : - "It's not an obligatory, but advisary" text, he said.
To make that point clear, he was ready, in agreement with many MEPs, to eventually drop at least that part of the controversial Amendment which initially called for "efforts to ..lead finally to the Eradication of those rare diseases" "which are Hereditary".
But, until late Wednesday evening, reportedly together with many other MEPs, he stood by all the rest of the controversial Amendment, (fex. on the "Genetic Counselling" and the "pre-implantation Selection of healthy Embryos"), so that critical MEPs, going from ChristianDemocrats as Dr. Liese, to "Greens" or "Ind/Dem", observed to "EuroFora" that "this was not enough" to close the dangerous loophole.
Particularly since, as Professor Trakatellis noted himself, "this is already allowed to the U.K.", and "other National Legislations would probably follow, sooner or later" in a similar direction. As for a general call to "Eradicate Hereditary rare Diseases", this "should happen, at any case, in practice, de facto", to protect public Health.
On the contrary, "our goal should be to help patients suffering from rare diseases, not to eradicate the patients. In case of genetic disease risk, the decision should not be guided by scenarios" made by politicians. "Perents who may decide to accept a child, even if handicapped or with genetic disease, must be respected and supported with solidarity", critical MEPs stated.
- "Any Pressure" to "a patient or couple (who "should be able to make an informed choice consistent with their own values"),"from health Professionals, Public Health Policies or Governemental Institutions, or Society at large, should be avoided", stresses the "European Society for Human Genetics".
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Each MEP's vote will be registered !
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The Socialist Group requested a "Split vote" on the Amendment 15, first without, and afterwards with the words "lead finally to the Eradication" etc.
But the first "split vote" leaves intact all the other parts of the Controversial Amendment, (i.e. "Genetic Counselling", "Selection of healthy Embryos", etc).
That's why, 3 Groups of MEPs : ChristianDemocrats/EPP, "Greens/EFA", and "Ind/Dem", have asked for "Roll Call Votes", on everything regarding the Controversial Amendment No 15, and on the final outcome of the resulting Report as amended, which will register all the individual positions to be taken by each MEP.
Something which will obviously make each MEP think twice before voting for one or another choice, to be sure that he/she will make the right choice in front of EU Citizens, particularly at these pre-Election times...
Crucial Votes were scheduled between 12 Noon and 1 p.m. local Strasbourg time, in the middle of a long series of various other Reports, and after a long Public Debate on the larger Health policy package, from 9 to 11.50 am.
The specific Report inside which was hidden the controversial Amendment is due to be debated between 11 and 12 am.
So that more last-minute Surprises may not be excluded a priori...
Particularly at the present Historic moment, when even the Institutional Future of the EU depends on the result of a second Referendum on "Lisbon Treaty", later this year, in ...Ireland, a mainly Catholic country, where People are particularly sensitive in such kind of socio-cultural and values issues...