Jabiluka - urgent update

11 July 1999

Kia ora, two messages forwarded on behalf of FoE Sydney, because of the time difference between here and Europe, there is still time to act on these messages if you are quick ...

Sun, 11 Jul 1999 17:50:09 +1000

MONDAY IS CRUNCH TIME FOR KAKADU

Dear All,

Monday is crunch time for kakadu and an 'in Danger' listing.

My apologies if you are getting fed up with Jabiluka material. That's because for us here in Australia and now in paris, the situation is desperate and is going to be decided by Monday.

For those who are still interested, Here is a complete list of all the fax numbers of all the delegates to the World Heritage Committee.

Each delegate needs to get the same simple message:

"The advisory bodies to UNESCO have spoken twice in succesion. Each time they have reccommended strongly that Kakadu be listed as 'in Danger'.

If a decision is taken on any grounds other than the World Heritage arguments, the value and credibility of the World Heritage Convention will be diminished, with effects on World Heritage protection worldwide.

The Australian Government have tried to subvert the proper process of the World Heritage Committee and Bureau.

They should be rebuffed, and Kakadu should be listed as 'In Danger' in accordance with the twice- repeated reccommendations of the advisory bodies."

If you are in any of the 20 countries on this list, please fax your own delegate.

If you are able to fax two people, please fax in addition, Ambassador Koichiro Matsuura, who is the chairperson of the World Heritage Committee on +33-1-42-27-50-81, or the Korean delegate.

If the number does not work, drop the zero after the 33.

Also, check that you are using the proper ISD access codes, which for faxing in Australia are 0015.

Some people have complained that the number for Matsuura does not work, or is incorrect.

I posted it once without the '1' after the '33', but the number is correct and it works. I have faxed it many times. It may be busy. After all, we'd hope it will be so. Keep trying.

WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE

Ambassadors/Permanent Delegates

COUNTRY Fax Number

BENIN +33 (0)143 06 15 55 S. Exc. Mr Olabiyi YAI

BRAZIL +33 (0)147 83 28 40 S. Exc. Mr Fernando PEDREIDA

CANADA +33 (0)143 06 87 27 S. Exc. Mr Jaques DEMERS

CUBA +33 (0)145 67 47 41 S. Exc. Mrs Maria Soledad CRUZ

ECUADOR +33 (0)143 06 49 06 S. Exc. Mr Juan CUEVA

FINLAND +33 (0)143 06 19 02 S. Exc. Mrs Taina Sinnikka KIEKKO

FRANCE +33 (0)147 34 55 05 S. Exc. Mr Jean MUSITELLI

GREECE +33 (0)143 06 00 30 S. Exc. Mr Vassilis VASSILIKOS

HUNGARY +33 (0)144 49 05 15 S. Exc. Mr Pal PATAKI

ITALY +33 (0)145 66 41 78 S. Exc. Mr Gabriele SARDO

JAPAN +33 (0)147 34 46 70 S. Exc. Mr Azusa HAYASHI

LEBANON +33 (0)145 67 34 88 S. Exc. Mr Sami KRONFOL

MALTA +33 (0)145 62 00 36 S. Exc. Mr Salvino BUSUTTIL

MEXICO +33 (0)147 34 92 45 S. Exc. Jofe SANCHES GUITIERREZ

MOROCCO +33 (0)145 67 18 69 S. Exc. Mr Mohammed BERRADA

NIGER +33 (0)145 68 25 69 S. Exc. Mr Lambert MESSAN

REPUBLIC OF KOREA +33 (0)140 56 38 88 S. Exc. Mr IN-Hyuk KWON

THAILAND +33 (0)156 26 04 45 S. Exc. Mr Tej BUNNAG

U.S.A. +33 (0)142 66 97 83 Mr William McILHENNY

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.

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