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Final text and signons - Biodiversity Convention 27 August 1999 Hamdallah Zedan Executive Secretary Convention on Biological Diversity Dear Mr. Secretary Hamdallah Zedan, We are appalled by the news that negotiations for a biosafety protocol are to resume in Vienna in the absence of participation by NGOs and other members of civil society. The tragedy of the Convention on Biological Diversity, once heralded as the most transparent treaty body in the world, becoming a behind-closed-door affair, greatly saddens us. Labeling the Vienna meeting as "informal consultations" does not obscure from our notice the fact that representatives have been asked to come to the meeting with the power to negotiate. It was the work of NGOs that gave light to the need for a biosafety protocol. We have observed, aided, and supported the long negotiations from the beginning. Without the ability to ensure that our biosafety concerns will be addressed, we cannot imagine that we will be able to support whatever conclusions may be reached in Vienna. Please convey to the members of the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as to whatever non-members may be present in Vienna, our dismay that the era of cooperation and trust that began in Rio apparently has been ended. We shall continue to hope that we have been misinformed and that NGO invitations to Vienna are in the mail. Sincerely, Beth Burrows *The Edmonds Institute (USA) Gurdial Singh Nijar *Third World Network Hira Jhamtani *Konphalindo (Indonesia) *Consumers' Association of Penang (Malaysia) *TEBTEBBA Foundation,Indigenous Peoples' Policy and Advocacy (The Philippines) *UBINIG (Bangladesh) *SAAN (the Southern Alternative Agriculture Network)- Thailand Neth C. Daño Executive Director *Southeast Asia Regional Institute for Community Education (SEARICE) Setsuko Yasuda *Consumers Union of Japan Mika Iba Secretary General NESSFE (Network for Safe and Secure Food and Environment)-Japan Osamu Horii Director, NESSFE, Niigata (Japan) Shoji Murayama Independent Farmers Union (Japan) Christine v. Weizsaecker *Ecoropa Diederick Sprangers Coordinator Gene Technology *Alternatieve Konsumenten Bond (Alternative Consumers' Association)- (The Netherlands) Matthias Bauer GRÜNE LIGA (GREEN LEAGUE), Berlin (GERMANY) Nancy Arrowsmith SSE International (Austria) Rosalie Bertell, Ph. D., GNSH President International Institute of Concern for Public Health (Canada) Peter M. Rosset, Ph.D. Executive Director *Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy (USA) Peter Cristiaensen *Oxfam Worldshops (Belgium) Joseph Mendelson Legal Director Andrew Kimbrell Executive Director *International Center for Technology Assessment (USA) *Campaign for Food Safety/Organic Consumers Association (USA) Victor Menotti *International Forum on Globalization (USA) Sue Edwards and Million Belay *Institute for Sustainable Development (Ethiopia) Marc Lappé, PhD; Director, Britt Bailey *Center for Ethics and Toxics (USA) *A Seed Europe *Biowatch South Africa *Friends of the Earth (New Zealand) Ellen Hickey Director of Research and Communications *Pesticide Action Network North America Ana Toni *ActionAid (Brazil) Alejandro Argumedo International Coordinator *Indigenous Peoples' Biodiversity Network *Zululand Environmental Alliance (ZEAL) - South Africa *Allergy, Sensitivity & Environmental Health Association Qld Inc (Australia) Lot S. Miranda Country Representive HEKS Cambodia Programme Maria Hamlin Zuniga, Coordinator, International People´s Health Council (Nicaragua) Alla Yaroshinskaya, Ph.D., President *Ecological Charity Fund (Russia) Emma Butt *Indigenous Peoples of Africa Co-ordinating Committee (IPACC) Devinder Sharma President *Forum for Biotechnology & Food Security (India) *The ZHABA Collective (The Netherlands) Riza V. Tjahjadi *PAN Indonesia *C-BAN British Columbia (Canada) *The Ram's Horn (Canada) Cha Smith *Hawai'i Pesticide Project (USA) *Ecoropa (France) Barry Coates Director *World Development Movement, London (UK) *The Corner House (UK) Roberto Bissio, *Third World Institute (ITeM) (Uruguay) Raymond Abin Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia Sarawak (BRIMAS) Elsa Nivia RAPALMIRA PAN-Colombia Maria Mies *Diverse Women for Diversity-Germany Laura Ticciati Executive Director *Mothers for Natural Law of the Natural Law Party (USA) Professor Philip L. Bereano *Washington Biotechnology Action Council (USA) Professor Doreen Stabinsky *Council for Responsible Genetics (USA) Shen Maglinte *SIBAT (The Philippines) Stuart Sontier *FAIR NZ (New Zealand) Fernando Bejarano *RAPAM ( Pesticide Action network in Mexico) Agus Sari Pelangi Indonesia Marie Haisova President Agentura GAIA (Czech Republic) Pat Mooney and Hope Shand *RAFI (Rural Advancement Foundation International) Eanna Dowling *Earthwatch-Friends of the Earth Ireland Areli Carreon Viva la Tierra! (Mexico) ANTONIO M. CLAPAROLS President - ESP IUCN Regional Councillor Michael Dorsey Director National Board of the Sierra Club (USA) Sean McGovern *Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (USA) Joelle Meunier *European Civic Forum Jennifer Story Health Protection Campaigner *Council of Canadians Kristin Dawkins *Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (USA) *INFID (Indonesia) *Icel (Indonesia) *RMI (Indonesia) *Walhi (Indonesia) Lubica Trubiniova Chairwoman *Greenpeace (Slovakia) Maria Mistrikova Secretary General *Energy 2000, (Slovakia) Igor Polakovic Chairman *Sirius (Slovakia) *The Center for Environmental Public Advocacy (Slovakia) *Friends of the Earth - Slovakia *Canadian Biotechnology Action Network - Saskatoon *IDEAL (Integrated Development for Ecofriendly and Appropriate Living)-Malaysia *Center for Alternative Development Initiatives (CADI)- (The Philippines) Jurgita Maciunaite *Vilnius Nature Protection Sociaty (Lithuania) *GLOBAL 2000 (Austria) *The Netherlands Centre for Indigenous Peoples *Coordination Paysanne Européenne (European Farmers' Co-ordination) an umbrella of 17 European farmers' organisations Betsy Lydon Program Director *Mothers & Others for a Livable Planet (USA) Ellen H. Taggart Executive Director *Rural Vermont (USA) Ninna Widstrand Chairperson *The Green Library, Lund (Sweden) *German NGO Forum on Environment & Development *Alianza por una Mejor Calidad de Vida/Red de Acción en Plaguicidas de Chile *Gaia Trust, Anderby, Lincolnshire (UK) *MECOIVEPAL/RAPAL-VE Movimiento Ecologico Cooperativo de Investigacion Las Velas-El Palmar (Venezuela) Ralf G. Landmesser Freie Kultur Aktion e.V., A-Laden Berlin (Germany) Richard Wolfson, PhD *Consumer Right to Know Campaign (Canada) Liberty Pinili Sun. Star Daily (The Philippines) Allison Campbell and Nandita Sharma *Basmati Action Group (Canada) Stephen Blackheath *Revolt Against Genetic Engineering Inc. New Zealand (RAGE) Dwi R. Muhtaman The Indonesian Tropical Institute (LATIN)-INDONESIA Nunuk Kasyanto LORIES Kalimantan Timur-Indonesia A. Rudwirijarto Telapak Indonesia Eddy Mangopo Angi Biosfer-Manusia 9BIOMA) Samarinda Kalimantan Timur-Indonesia Wahyu Raharjaningtrah Yayasan Pribumi Alam Lestari, Bandung, Indonesia Rudi Ranaq LBB. PUTI JAJI, Samarinda, Kaltim, Indonesia Gisela S. de Alencar Environmental Law Committee Brazilian Bar Association Evalyn G. Ursua Women's Legal Bureau, Inc. (Philippines) Ieva Zalite The Green Library (Latvia) Matt Moris Trust Coordinator *Organic Garden City Trust, Christchurch (New Zealand) Anita Pleumarom Tourism Investigation and Monitoring Team (Thailand) Angeles Parra Garcia Asociacion Vida Sana (Spain) Prasad Chhetry NECOS (Nepal) Diego L. Herranz Martí National Secretariat of Ecologistas en Acción (Spain) Joaquín Nieto Secretario Confederal de Medio Ambiente y Salud Laboral del sindicato Comisiones Obreras (Spain) Jorge Riechmann Director del Area de Medio Ambiente Fundación Primero de Mayo (Spain) Raquel Nu'ñez Mutter Red del Tercer Mundo/Third World Network Latin American Secretariat (Uruguay) Ruth Fenner President *South Vancouver Island District Women's Institutes (Canada) *NABU (The Birdlife Partner in Germany) Pat Battle Vice President of the Board of Directors *Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (USA) *Oasis Gardens Community Supported Agriculture (USA) Karin Nansen Redes - Amigos de la Tierra (Uruguay) Nancy Vallejo PI Environmental Consulting (Switzerland) Ian Burn International Secretary, Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand on behalf of Jeanette Fitzsimons MP Rod Donald MP Co-leaders of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Valdis Felsbergs Green Party of Latvia *Green Choice of New York State Arvid Solheim, Program Director, The Development Fund (Norway) K.A.J.Kahandawa, President Future in Our Hands Development Fund (Sri Lanka) Mariam Jorjadze International Relations and Information Coordinator *Biological farming Association "Elkana" (Georgia) Florianne Koechlin, Daniel Ammann SAG (Schweizerische Arbeitsgruppe Gentechnologie (Swiss umbrella-organisation concerned with genetic engineering) Beat Jans Pro Natura (Friends of the Earth Switzerland) Verena Soldati Basler Appell gegen Gentechnologie (Switzerland) Bernadette Oehen WWF Switzerland Germán Velez Programa Semillas Fundación SWISSAID (Colombia) *FarmFolk/CityFolk Society (Canada) *EastEnd Store Front Co-operative, Vancouver (Canada) Bromwyn Kineavy ELAC (The Philippines) Helmut Lubbers Trustee Ecology Discovery Foundation (New Zealand) Elaine Ingham Soil Foodweb Inc.(USA) Willi Borst Nelson Environment Centre, Nelson (New Zealand) R.A.G.E.Nelson (New Zealand) Nigel Joy New Zealand Millennium Peace Dr Paul Butler General Medical Practitioner. PSRG (Physicians and Scientists For Responsible Genetics), Auckland, New Zealand C. A. Hilgartner, MD Director *Hilgartner & Associates (USA) Robert Cohen Executive Director *Dairy Education Board (USA) Jim Gladwin & Penny Bright Water Pressure Group (New Zealand) Gudrun Henne Institute for Biodiversity Brian Tokar Institute for Social Ecology (USA) Marion Hancock Coordinator New Zealand Peace Foundation Debra Harry Director Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (USA) Dr.Ricarda Steinbrecher Women's Environmental Network (UK) Wendel Trio Oxfam Wereldwinkels (Belgium) Ana C.Filippini RAPAL/Uruguay Thierry Raffin OGM Danger (France) Steven Gorelick *International Society for Ecology and Culture Erin Everett *New Life Journal (USA) Jonquil Brooks Director Development Resource Center (Aotearoa New Zealand) Kay Weir Editor, Pacific World Pacific Institute of Resource Management Taimoon Stewart The University of the West Indies (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago) Oscar B. Zamora Professor Agronomy Department UPLB- College of Agriculture (The Philippines) Teodoro C. Mendoza Department of Agronomy College of Agriculture U.P. los Banos ,College ( The Philippines) Nayna Jhaveri Assistant Professor Department of Geography University of Washington (USA) Lorraine Gibson Simon Frasier University Department of Geography (Canada) Romeo F. Quijano, M.D. Associate Profressor, Univ. of the Philippines, College of Medicine President, Pesticide Action Network Philippines Vathsala Aithal, M.A. University of Frankfurt Germany Michael Harstone School of Community and Regional Planning, University of British Columbia (Canada) Ani O'Neill Auckland University (New Zealand) Glen Hearns c/o Faculty of Law University of British Colombia (Canada) Paul Rawson Centre for Development Studies, Auckland (New Zealand) Maged Senbel Planning Students Association University of British Columbia (Canada) Alice Revell Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (Aotearoa New Zealand) Karen Skinner New Zealand University Students' Association (Aotearoa New Zealand) Alison M. Timme Society for International Education (USA) Joseph Doherty Trustee Dunedin Environment Centre (New Zealand) J-Pierre Fry Environmental Engineer (Canada) Robert A. McCroskey Canadian Centre for Rabbit Production Development Sharon Intilli *GreenBeing, Inc. (USA) Jack Kloppenburg Madison Community Gardeners Coalition Dane County REAP Food Group (USA) Jessie Anderson Provincial Agriculture Convenor for the Women's Institutes of B.C. (Canada) Carroll Webber Greenville Peace Committee (USA) Lucky Marlovitz North Coast EarthFirst (USA) Jean Grossholtz People Against Corporate Takeover (USA) Gitanjali Bedi Development Resource Center (Aotearoa New Zealand) Zoe Lamar SEARAGE (Seattle Resistance Against Genetic Engineering)- (USA) Steve Chase Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering (USA) Rachel Burton Down South RAGE (USA) Rev. Dorothy A. Harper Director The Temple of Ascension (USA) Nancy Allen Co-chair Association of State Green Parties (USA) Tim Jones Wellington Anti-MAI Campaign (New Zealand) Dennie Kirtley The Mankind Project (USA) Patricia Evans Naturalist, Cape Town Colin Priddle Organic Garden Advisor (New Zealand) Hank Mishima (USA) Stacey London (USA) Andrea Welling, B.A., M.A.(Canada) Jeffrey Tissell (USA) Andrew Marshall (USA) Catherine Ralston (USA) Celia and Bill Abram (Canada) Melody Pyefinch (Canada) Rosemary Abram (Canada) Isabel Van Humbeck (Canada) Bryan & Christine Pulham (New Zealand) Julie Greig (New Zealand) Gerald Lock (New Zealand) Robert Anderson (New Zealand) Herve Le Meur (France) Laurent Mingo (Canada) Peter Clark (USA) Dave Woodward (New Zealand) Fred Overmars (New Zealand) Cushla Murphy (New Zealand) Helen Ellery (UK) * indicates organizational endorsement. Please note: Response directed to Beth Burrows (The Edmonds Institute), phone: 425-775-5383, fax: 425-670-8410, email: beb@igc.org will be communicated to all the signatories. ******************************** President/Director The Edmonds Institute 20319-92nd Avenue West Edmonds, Washington 98020 USA email:beb@igc.org phone: 425-775-5383 website: http://www.edmonds-institute.org
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