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View all search resultsLocal administrations urged to sign Earth Charter
Local administrations in Indonesia have been encouraged to sign the Earth Charter and use it as a foundation for their regional development policies to promote just, sustainable and peaceful development
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ocal administrations in Indonesia have been encouraged to sign the Earth Charter and use it as a foundation for their regional development policies to promote just, sustainable and peaceful development.
'The Earth Charter can be a solution for sustainable development because it highlights not only economic but also environmental aspects. This offers a win-win solution,' former Earth Charter Asia-Pacific Committee member Erna Witoelar told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
The Earth Charter was initiated by the United Nations' World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987. The charter has been campaigned internationally since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The charter, which comprises 16 principles, is an ethics vision acknowledging that environmental protection, human rights, just human development and peace are interconnected and inseparable.
'The Earth Charter needs to be implemented because it's a long-term solution, under which people will get greater benefits,' said Erna, who is also the former UN Ambassador for the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in Asia Pacific.
She said she hoped regional leaders would sign the Earth Charter because at the local level, regional administrations had greater authority to integrate programs among development agencies.
The charter offered every sector a chance to integrate its programs with environmental and conservation-related aspects, she added.
'At the central level, it will be more difficult to carry out such an integrated program, as egocentrism among departments is still high,' she said.
Erna highlighted the importance of the Earth Charter during a meeting on environmental institution capacity-building, held by the Environment Ministry in Yogyakarta on May 23-24.
Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya said the Earth Charter could be used to evaluate the ministry's implementation of environmental work programs at the national and local levels.
'Development must be sustainable and pay due attention to human rights,' he said.
Balthasar said more work needed to be done to improve environmental conditions in Indonesia. Internationally, Indonesia ranked 112th among the countries surveyed for its environmental standards. The country's air and water quality ranked 60th, far lower than Malaysia and Singapore. (dhi/ebf)
