BALI -- Already from the beginning there was an air of defeatism at the preparatory meeting in Bali for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. It was certainly not the ambience: The resort-style lodging for the 6,000 delegates could hardly have been a reason for complaint. But after two weeks of negotiations, the final outcome Friday lacked clear targets and timetables.
The "Bali Commitment" was supposed to be presented at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in late August, serving as a blueprint for developing the world without destroying it. It was meant to be a followup on "Agenda 21," the first action plan on sustainable development, which resulted from the 1992 "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro.
The gathering in Johannesburg is expected to be the largest U.N. conference ever. More than a hundred heads of state and 60,000 delegates are supposed to agree on ways to help millions of people out of poverty while protecting the Earth's natural resources. Chances are, however, that "Earth Summit II," as it is being dubbed, will result in a mere evaluation of 10 years of inaction since Rio.