"I`m really disappointed by Indonesia`s elimination from the candidacy. This is the result of the government`s unpreparedness, something that could have been prevented," Nurhayati Assegaf, a member of the House of Representatives` Commission I, said in response to a question from ANTARA.
Assegaf was asked to comment after the United Nations selected India, instead of Indonesia, for the first ever global host of WED on June 5, 2011. UNEP had actually first approached Indonesia on hosting WED.
Assegaf, currently President of IPU Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians, added that she had directly questioned the matter to the Foreign Affairs Ministry but the replies had been unsatisfactory and normatively diplomatic.
She said that hosting WED would be a very important occasion for Indonesia because the country would be on a global spotlight attended by many world leaders. "Indonesia would actually be able to take an advantage of the event by approaching leaders from other countries."
Assegaf said she could not understand it that the government, in this case Foreign Affairs Ministry and Environment Ministry, seemed to have lacked seriousness in the effort to grab the opportunity.
"Soft diplomacy approach taken by Indonesia seems to have been comprehended as giving in easily," said Assegaf who added that the country will find it hard to be able to host a global scale event like WED should such an approach remain.
Speaking on similar regretting notes, Teguh Surya, head of the Indonesian Environment Forum (Walhi), who was interviewed on Friday (March 4), said that if Indonesia had been successful in the candidacy and selected to host WED 2011, the country would be able to take advantage of the important event.
"The failure really is a great loss. Indonesia would actually be able in the event to ask major countries and investors of their seriousness in tackling environmental issues," said Surya.
Surya said that Indonesia would also be able to ask for supports from major countries in the efforts to tackle environmental problems or for more environmentally friendly investments.
He expressed a hope in the future the government should be more active in the approaches and follow ups to any chances for hosting major international events. "Indonesia has a real good opportunity form such events," Surya said.
India, the Host
Nick Nuttall, UNEP spokesperson, in a press release received by ANTARA on February 23, has confirmed that the world environmental body had selected India as the host of WED 2011.
"India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world that is embracing the process of a transition to a Green Economy, will be for the first time ever the global host of World Environment Day 2011 (WED) on 5 June," he says.
This year`s theme "Forests: Nature at Your Service" underscores the intrinsic link between quality of life and the health of forests and forest ecosystems. The WED theme also supports this year`s UN International Year of Forests.
India is a country of 1.2 billion people who continue to put pressure on forests especially in densely populated areas where people are cultivating on marginal lands and where overgrazing is contributing to desertification.
But the Indian Government has also found solutions. While the socio-economic pressures on the country`s forests are tremendous, India has instituted a tree-planting system to combat land-degradation and desertification, including windbreaks and shelterbelts to protect agricultural land.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said: "Over close to the 40-year history of WED, India`s cities and communities have been among the most active with a myriad of events undertaken across the country each and every year so it is only fitting that this rapidly developing economy is the host in 2011."
"India is famous for its culture, arts, movies and world-beating Information Technology industries. Increasingly it is at the forefront of some of the "green shoots" of a Green Economy that are emerging across the globe," he said.
"From its manufacturing of solar and wind turbines to its Rural Employment Guarantee Act which underwrites paid work for millions of households via investments in areas ranging from water conservation to sustainable land management, foundations are being laid towards a fundamental and far reaching new development path," added Steiner.
Dr. T. Chatterjee, Secretary for Environment and Forests of the Government of India was quoted as saying that India`s offer to host WED is another expression of India`s strong commitment to work with the global community for sustainable development.
This event will serve as the inauguration of a series of events leading up to the hosting of the 11th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It will also flag off the celebrations of the international decade for biodiversity.
"This will in addition signal India`s commitment to the biomass economy so dependent on the sustainability of our natural resources," he said.
Two of India`s most prominent cities - Mumbai and Delhi - will be the venue for this year`s global celebration of the environment, with a myriad of activities over several days to inspire Indians and people around the world to take action for the environment. (*)
Reporter: By Vicki Febrianto
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
