ENVIRONMENT: West Blocks Russian Move to Rebuke NATO attacks

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, May 2 1999 (IPS) - The United States and its Western allies have blocked a Russian move to condemn the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) for its “environmental destruction” of Yugoslavia.

A Russian-sponsored draft resolution, expressing “grave concern” over the “environmental crisis” in the Balkans, was thrown out of the 53-member UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) on Friday because of the strong objections of Western nations.

Using a procedural tactic, the 15-member European Union proposed that “no action” be taken on the Russian resolution on the ground that the issue was beyond the mandate of the CSD.

“The CSD discusses technical issues relating to oceans, fisheries, tourism and hazardous waste. There is no place in the CSD for a political issue like the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia,” one Western European diplomat told IPS.

The “no action motion” was adopted by 33 votes in favour, to four against (Russia, China, North Korea and Zimbabwe), with eight abstentions (India, Indonesia, Egypt, Sudan, Benin, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Venezuela). The remaining eight were absent at voting time.

All of the Western nations in the CSD – including the United States, Britain, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland – voted to block the Russian resolution.

The vote was a diplomatic victory for the United States which reasserted its political clout at the United Nations where it has been exerting pressure on member states to desist from raising any issue relating to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

This was the second big defeat for Russia at the United Nations since the bombing of Yugoslavia began nearly six weeks ago.

At the end of March, the Security Council voted 12 to 3 rejecting a Russian-sponsored resolution to end the US-led NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia. Besides Russia, the only two countries to vote for the resolution in the Security Council were China and Namibia.

The Russian draft resolution, which failed to show up before the CSD, expresses grave concern over the “unfolding environmental crisis” in the Balkans, which is attributed to the destruction of chemical, oil and other industries which have come under heavy air attacks by NATO.

Russian representative, Nikolai Tchoulkov expressed “deep regrets” that the CSD failed to even discuss the resolution.

“We were prepared to discuss the draft in good faith in order to reach consensus. At the same time, we were well aware of options of possible voting outcomes,” he told delegates here.

“But we did not introduce this resolution on win or lose considerations. We introduced it because we believed it was the right thing to do.”

Tchoulkov said it was symbolic that the resolution was voted on procedural grounds – not on substance.

“We view it as a de facto recognition that the problem (of environment destruction) exists,” he said. ‘We firmly believe that the CSD, as the main UN body dealing with sustainable development, has and should play a role in addressing the unfolding environmental disaster in Yugoslavia.”

The crisis, he said, has had unpredictable consequences for the lives of millions of people in Europe – not just in Yugoslavia alone.

The fact that the CSD turned its back on this issue does not mean that the issue is gone, Tchoulkov pointed out.

“The truth is, and everyone knows it, that the issue of grave environmental consequences of events in the Balkans is there, and that the time will come, and will come soon, when this issue will be on the agenda of the UN, including the CSD, and other forums,” he said.

Meanwhile, a report circulated by the Yugoslav Federal Ministry for Development, Science and the Environment said that the use by NATO of thousands of tons of explosives, and the destruction of many chemical facilities, refineries, fuel tanks and warehouses, has had an adverse effect on the ozone layer.

“It is well known that the depletion of the ozone layer causes many changes in living organisms, and ultimately may cause an increase in the incidence rate of cancer, and disruptions of the global nutrition chane,” the ministry said.

“What this actually means is that the victims of the destruction of the ozone layer are all inhabitants of Europe, while the biggest victims in the long-term will be the populations of Northern Europe, the northern part of the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the south of Latin America,” it said.

The report points out that the NATO bombing has also caused water pollution, destruction of parks and the release of dangerous toxic gases from chemical plants that have been destroyed by the air attacks.