We, members of regional, national and local parliaments, attending the World Parliamentary Forum- 2002, in Porto Alegre, acknowledging the urgency to protect biodiversity and access to genetic resources by local communities, and the dangers posed by the uncontrolled expansion of genetic manipulation and commercial patenting, recognized that:
– The intrinsic value of the Earth’s gene pool, in all of its biological forms and manifestations precedes its utility and commercial value, and therefore, must be respected and safeguarded by all political, commercial and social institutions.
We commit ourselves to:
– Promote in all relevant national and international forums, the adoption of a treaty to share genetic common;
- Join the initiative launched in Porto Alegre to garner the support of 1000 Parliamentarians all over the world, before the celebration of the Rio + 10 Conference, that will take place next September, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The United Nations Summit on Environment and Development will be held in Johannesburg, from August to September 2002, 10 years after the celebration of this Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Therefore, before the celebration of Johannesburg’s Summit, we request that:
– That Kyoto Protocol is implemented and ratified by a significant number of countries, above all, the ones in annex I from this protocol;
- Documents on budgets or national budget laws are approved at least in those rich countries that internally decide to allocate 0,7% of their Gross National Product to cooperate with sustainable development in poor countries;
- Rich countries agree to release extra resources for the struggle against hunger, draught, increasing funds for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, for next summit in Rome (on June 2002).
In Johannesburg, we request that:
– It is possible to discuss about the Poverty-Environment Link;
- Concrete commitments are established towards the reduction of global warming, foreseeing sanctions to those who violate the rules;
- That the United Nations management reform is further implemented over sustainable development policies; decreasing the number of organizations that manipulate this issue; deleting contradictory decisions like the one on big dams; stimulating the coordination of global policies (climatic changes, desert-like draught, biodiversity);
- The Rural Agenda XXI is proposed as an instrument for direct support to local communities in poor countries;
- The right to water as part of common welfare is guaranteed by special instruments and by the United Nations bodies;
- Sustainable development projects are proposed for regional ecosystems.