For a new deal

The role of non-government organisations (NGOs) in the international arena is changing. They have to devise new strategies to consolidate their …

Independent eco-fund proposed

Let's get political

The environmental movement is politically weak. That is the lesson from the Rio summit

Everybody wants to be green

Politicians and businessmen appear concerned about the environment these days. Their speeches and interviews are laced with expressions like '…

From reservations to recognition

Pushed onto reservations and almost forgotten, the indigenous people of the world have finally got onto the international environmental agenda.…

Speaking for the people

Rio saw the largest ever gathering of NGOs -- over 2,000 of them. And finally the world was forced to acknowledge that NGOs were the real voice …

Shortchanging the South

Funds, always a sticky subject, was an area of considerable debate at UNCED. What emerged was a weak compromise which left northern purses …

Nothing gained, but nothing lost either

The glitz at UNCED was very impressive -- over 100 heads of government gathered together to thrash out environment politics. But the results were …

Time for Green from the ground up

The show is over. It's time to stop talking and get down to work

The global green farce

At UNCED the inclustrialised countries do not want any serloys restructuring of their economies or their lifestyles to save the earth. But the …

Rewards from Rio: A year later

Rio has not changed the North-South equation

The UNCED deliberations have to be viewed in the context of northern attempts to maintain hegemony over the rest of the world

Did Riocentro learn anything from Flamengo park?

While heads of state deliberated on the future of the world at the Riocentro, social activists and NGOs expressed their sense of frustration …

Forests of global contention

The South's determined efforts to scuttle the forest convention that the North was adamant on pushing through was a major triumph. A blow-by-…

Are we ready for global unity?

'Avoiding controversy is crucial for the GEF'

Mostafa K Tolba , has been an influential figure in the global environmental arena, and has monitored the state of the world's environment. …

The vital statistics of Rio

Blueprints for change

In search of Vision 2020

The vision of a 'common future' appears to have been lost somewhere along the way from the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to the first assembly of the …

Consuming to sustain?

At UNCED, the North tried using the facile argument that their larger consumption actually provided trade and jobs for the poorer South. But …

A very summary preparation

Citizen's Report On Environment And Development, Sri Lanka, To UNCED 1992 Public Campaign On Environment and Development, Colombo Pakistan …

Time for green gadgets

UNCED has thrown into sharp focus all matters environmental international industry, quick to Catch on to now trends, has started branding its …

Forest talk

An international forum on forests promises to bring in real change

Diary of a political carnival

UNCED saw the largest ever gathering of heads of government in history. Ceremony, glitter and pomp were played out against a backdrop of …

Diary of a political carnival

UNCED saw the largest ever gathering of heads of government in history. Ceremony, glitter and pomp were played out against a backdrop of …