From: Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Folks, this from John Hallam, acti-nuclear worker at Friends of the Earth
in Sydney, who has coordinated this massive faxing effort over the last
months.
Please remember, Paris time is about 8 hours behind EST; so even up to
lunchtime tomorrow you can still send a fax in the knowledge it'll be there
before they get up - ie maximize the chances of them seeing it and it
having an effect.
Dear People,
Hopefully this is the last request you will get to act on Kakadu World
Heritage stuff.
The full body of the World Heritage Committee meets on Monday.
The Australian government has exerted unprecedented pressure against an in
Danger listing.
There is now a danger that this pressure may be working.
The 'In Danger' listing, twice strongly reccommended by the World Heritage
advisory bodies, may fall vicitim to the politics of pressure and
manipulation.
There is one delegation that especially needs to hear a message.
That is the Italian delegation.
They need to hear that their delegate, mr Gabriele sardo,
(+33-1-45-66-41-78), has been consistently undermining the sirit and intent
of the World Heritage convention, by siding with Australia against an 'in
Danger' listing.
This is especially shocking, as the Italians, under Professor francesco
Francioni, were responsible for the original Kakadu mission report that
reccommended an 'in danger' listing.
You should ask that the Italian delegate cease undermining the convention
and support the reccommendations of the advisory bodies.
Tell them that if Kakadu National Park is not listed as 'in danger', then
this will signal to the whole world that uranium mines in the middle of
world heritage national parks are acceptable.
Tell them this will compromise both the spirit and intent of the entire
World Heritage Convention.
Tell them that their delegation should continue to uphold the once high
standards previously adopted by italy when their delegation was led by
Pofessor francesco francioni.
Tell them that short-term political considerations have no place in a
decision such as this.
The fax number of the Italian delegate is 33-1-45-66-41-78.
Let them know how you feel about the Italian delegations actions.
A letter sent by Friends of the Earth to the Italian Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister follows.
MR MASSIMO D'ALEMA PRIME MINISTER OF ITALY,
+39-06-678-3998
MR EDO RONCHI, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
+39-06-679-1905
DR. LAMBERTO DINI, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
+39-06-323-6210
We are writing to express our dismay that the leader of the Italian
delegation to the World Heritage Bureau, Mr. Gabriele Sardo, is undermining
the World Heritage Convention by actively lobbying to assist the Australian
Government to develop a uranium mine in the middle of Australias preeminent
National Park, Kakadu.
This is particularly disturbing, given the strong role Italy's chair of the
World Heritage Committee Professor Francisco Francioni played in leading a
mission to Australia to investigate the damage being caused by the Jabiluka
uranium mine to Kakadu. The mission found the Jabiluka mine to be of
sufficient concern to warrant placing Kakadu National Park on the list of
World Heritage In Danger.
The complete turnaround in the Italian governments position appears to be
the result of a massive international lobbying campaign by the Australian
Government (at foreign minister or higher level) to gain support for this
mine going ahead. Australias lobbying campaign runs directly counter to the
advice of the World Heritage Mission, and to the unequivocal advice of the
three world Heritage technical advisory bodies (IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM),
that Kakadu should be immediately placed on the 'In Danger' list.
Where Italy once led the world in helping to uphold the highest
international standards for World Heritage protection, its reputation as an
outstanding leader in this field is fast being destroyed.
How can it be that a country which placed so much store on maintaining the
integrity of the World Heritage Convention can have given in to pressure
from the Australian Government and placed short- term political expediency
head of the high standing the Italian Government had achieved in this area
under Professor Francioni?
Please ensure that your delegation upholds the high standards previously
adopted by Italy, and supports an In Danger listing for Kakadu National
Park."
John Hallam,
Nuclear Campaigner, Friends of the Earth,
Sydney, Australia.
Karl-Erik Paasonen
for Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation
Contact details:
Phone: Within Australia: (08) 8979 2200; international: +61 - 8 - 8979
2200; Fax: Within Australia: (08) 8979 2299; international:
+61 - 8 - 8979 2299
Postal address: PO Box 245 Jabiru,
Northern Territory
AUSTRALIA 0886.
We have this amazing web-site, which you'd be CRAZY not to have a look at:
http://www.mirrar.net
...........................................................................
"We will fight to protect our country and that is a fact of life"
Yvonne Margarula.
Ba-ngurdmeninj Djabulukku! Yun Ngurri-Djalgarung Boiwek Gun-Ngukbim!
"Stop Jabiluka! Don't the dig the life out of the Knob-Tailed Gecko Dreaming!"
...........................................................................
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