Support Australia's Kakadu National Park's Listing As World Heritage
Site `In Danger'
6/25/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Support Australia's Kakadu National Park's Listing As World
Heritage Site `In Danger'
Source: Global Response
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: June 25, 1999
Dear Members of Global Response's Quick Response Network:
A few weeks ago we asked you to send faxes to US Secretary of the
Interior Bruce Babbitt, urging him to support listing Australia's
Kakadu National Park as a World Heritage Site "IN DANGER". Our hope
is that by listing Kakadu as "IN DANGER," the Australian government
will be persuaded to stop the uranium mine that threatens the natural
and cultural value of Kakadu, a World Heritage Site.
Friends of the Earth - Australia is asking for one last round of
urgent FAXES and EMAILS to Secretary Babbitt. Below you'll find:
1- The request to Global Response from Friends of the Earth's John
Hallam (nonukes@foesyd.org.au)
2- The request to US Congresspeople, NGOs and others from Friends of
the Earth
3- Letter to president Clinton signed by 33 US Congressional
Representatives
(includes partial list of signers)
4- Letter from Friends of the Earth to Secretary Babbitt
5- Statement by Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation
6- Fax numbers and email addresses for this Urgent Action Alert
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1- Request to Global Response from Friends of the Earth:
Dear Global Response,
For some time, we have been getting feedback that the US delegation
to the UNESCO WHC extraordinary meeting coming up in Paris on 12
july, is still 'wobbly', and has been lobbied heavily by the
Australian Government.
Global Response has done great work in lobbying them and in lobbying
Matsuura, and they must surely have been feeling the pressure as a
result of what you and others have been doing.
We are now coming in to the 'home stretch'.
The extraordinary meeting of the World Heritage Committee takes place
on 12 July, but there is a World heritage Bureau meeting before that,
over the 5-10 July period.
That leaves 24 hours for last minute desperate lobbying on 11 July
before the final decision on 12th.
WHC delegates will leave their home countries for Paris where both
meetings will be taking place by the 3rd, exactly a week from now,
and governments (environment ministers/secretaries of the interior
etc) will be making final decisions right now.
I am asking you to focus, if it is possible, on an immediate faxing
to Babbitt, noting that 34 members of the House of reps have written
to Clinton, asking him to back an 'in Danger' listing, and saying
that if Kakadu is not listed as in danger, the World Heritage regime
itself will be severely compromised with consequences for
environmental protection worldwide.
Is this possible? Can you do it?
It's really the very last stretch and then hopefully you won't need
to hear about Kakadu for a while.
The 34 congresspeople writing to Clinton is really very helpful, and
gives us a weapon that we can use.
Many thanks for your excellent and valuable efforts over the last few
months!
John Hallam
Nuclear campaigner
Friends of the Earth, Sydney Australia.
John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
Suite 15,
1st Floor, 104 Bathurst Street,
Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Fax(61)(2)9283-2005 ph(61)(2)9283-2006.
nonukes@foesyd.org.au http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd
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2: Letter from Friends of the Earth to US Congress and NGOs:
Dear US Congresspeople, NGOs and others,
The fight to get Kakadu on the list of World Heritage In Danger in
view of a planned uranium mine in the middle of the World Heritage
registered national park in Australia's north has taken on a new
dimension, with 33 US representatives signing on to a letter to
President Clinton, asking the US administration to support an 'in
Danger' listing at the upcoming meeting of the World Heritage
Committee in Paris on July 12, and the Bureau over July 5-10.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU WRITE NOW TO US SECRETARY FOR THE INTERIOR
BRUCE BABBITT, AND US WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES IN
PARIS, FOLLOWING UP AND SUPPORTING THIS LETTER.
THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT THE US SHOULD TAKE THE SAME RESPONSIBLE
POSITION ON KAKADU THAT IT TOOK ON YELLOWSTONE, AND THAT IF IT DOES
NOT THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ENTIRE WORLD HERITAGE REGIME WILL BE
SEVERELY COMPROMISED.
BABBITS FAX NUMBER IS 202-208-5048.
US WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE PERMANENT REP MACILHENNEY'S NUMBER IN
PARIS AT UNESCO IS +33-1-42-66-97-83.
DEPUTY US WHC REP JOHN C. REYNOLDS NUMBER IS 202-208-7889.
- - - - - - - -
3: Letter from US Senators to President Clinton:
Dear President Clinton,
We are writing to you on behalf of two Goldman environmental prize
winners, Jacqui Katona, and Yvonne Margarula of Australia.
These extraordinary Aboriginal women have been leading a popular
national campaign to prevent construction of the Jabiluka uranium
mine on the land of the Mirrar people.
Yvonne margarula is the leader of the Mirrar people, and bears
responsibiity of ensuring the protetion of their lands and culture in
accordance with the 60,000 year old traditions of her forefathers.
The proposed Jabiluka minesite is surrounded by Kakadu National Park,
a World Heritage area known for its rich biodiversity and cultural
significance. The Mirrar people believe that Jabiluka, which would be
the second uraium mine developed on Mirrar land despite their
protests, will gravely damage the environment and cultural values of
Kakadu.
In october 1998, a UNESCO World Heritage Committee Mission visited
Kakadu National Park to determine if the proposed Jabiluka uranium
mine would cause damage to Kakadu and subsequently whether or not
Kakadu should be placed on the 'In danger' list. Based on detailed
analysis of scientific and cultural information, the Missions primary
reccommendation was that 'severe ascertained and potential dangers to
the cultural and natural vaues of Kakadu National Park re posed
primarily by the proposal for uranium mining and milling at Jabiluka.
The Mission therefore reccommends that the proposal to mine and mill
uranium at Jabiluka should not proceed.' Based on these findings, the
World Heritage Committee resolved during the December 1998 meeting
that construction should cease pending a decision on an 'in Danger'
listing in July 1999.
This debate over the Jabiluka mine has captured attention worldwide
as nations are now making sincere efforts to stop its development.
Both the European Parliament and the Australian Senate have passed
resolutions condemning the Australian Government for allowing the
construction of the Jabiluka mine despite the concerns of the UN
World Heritage Committee. In addition, support for this movement is
continuing to grow amongst Australians. According to a 1998
newspoll, two thirds of the Australian population oppose the mine
and less than 10% actively support it. it is also worth noting that
until three years ago, uranium mining at jabiluka was prohibited by
the Australian government. However in 1996, the longtime labour
government was ousted by a conservative coalition, which has since
become a powerful advocate in favour of opening the mine.
The US Department of Interior will soon play an important role in
deciding the fate of Kakadu National Park. For this reason we, the
undersigned members of the US House of Representatives, implore the
US to support an 'In Danger' listing for Kakadu National Park at the
2nd Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee to be held
on July 12th in Paris.
We also urge US representatives at UNESCO ti steadfastly oppose
uranium mining in one of Australia's richest national treasures.
Mr President, we thank you for your fine effortsto preserve and
protect America's national heritage. We ask you to extend the same
courtesy and assistance to Australian environmental, human -rights,
and indigenous rights advocates who now need your help. We and the
American public are now counting on your firm leadership in the
ongoing effort to protect this premier example of the worlds natural
and cultural landscapes from irrevocable harm.
Signed: (Partial List only)
Cynthis mc Kinley
Greg Meeks,
Maurice Hinchley
John Lewis
Major Owens
Jim McDermott
Nancy Pelosi
John Conyers
Edward Markey
Gary Ackerman
Lynn Woolsey
Rosa de Lauro
Bob Filner
Carolyn mc carthy
Barbara Lee
Bill Paserell Jr,
Tom Lantos
Tom Udall
Eudolphus Towns
Sam Farr
James Clyburn
(Other signatures )
- - - - - - - -
4: Letter from Friends of the Earth to Secretary Babbitt:
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SYDNEY LETTER TO BRUCE BABBITT AND US WORLD
HERITAGE COMMITTEE REPS
BRUCE BABBITT,U.S.,
SECRETARY FOR THE INTERIOR 1-202-208-5048,
UNITED STATES PERMANENT WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE, +33-
1-42-66-97-83,
JOHN C. REYNOLDS, 202-208-7889
24/6/1999
Dear Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, and US representatives
to UNESCO,
I am writing in direct response to the letter sent today by
Congressperson Cynthia Mc Kinley, Maurice Hinchley, and a large
number of others, to President Clinton, on behalf of the Jabiluka
traditional owners, urging him to support an 'in danger' listing for
the World Heritage Kakadu National Park, threatened by the Jabiluka
uranium mine which is completely surrounded on all sides by World
Heritage National Park and adjacent to Ramsar-registered wetlands.
It is absolutely imperative that the US administration support an 'in
Danger' listing for Kakadu as urged by Cynthia Mc Kinley's letter.
Not do so will both imperil the World Heritage values of Kakadu and
seriously compromise the credibility of the World Heritage regime as
a whole.
The European Parliament and the Australian Senate have both passed
resolutions demanding that the Jabiluka project not proceed.
In October last year, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, after
receiving representations from the Traditional Owners and from
environment NGOs worldwide expressing extreme concern about the
potential effects of uranium mining on the World Heritage values of
Kakadu, sent out a High level Mission to Kakadu.
After extensive consultations the Mission concluded strongly that
Kakadu should be listed as 'World Heritage In Danger'.
At the December meeting of the World Heritage Bureau and Committee,
the report of the Kakadu Mission was affirmed as thorough and
credible, and the advisory bodies to the Committee, IUCN and ICOMOS,
strongly urged that Kakadu be immediately listed as 'in Danger'.
However, the Australian government was given a period of six months
in which to respond to the Kakadu High Level Mission Report.
A near-unanimous (except Australia) resolution was passed, asking
that construction activities at Jabiluka be stopped immediately.
Australia has ignored this request in spite of extreme concern being
expressed by UNESCO as sites of cultural significance have been
desecrated by construction operations.
Since that time, the UNESCO advisory bodies, IUCN, ICOMOS and ICCROM,
have strongly reaffirmed their recommendation that Kakadu be listed
as In danger'. The voluminous Australian response to the Kakadu
Mission report has been dismissed as misleading and containing
significant errors of fact and interpretation.
The Australian Government has mounted a million dollar diplomatic
effort of considerable aggressiveness, aimed at subverting the clear
recommendations of the UNESCO advisory bodies.
A final decision must be reached in Paris at the extraordinary
meeting of the World heritage Committee on July 12, and the Bureau
July 5-10.
A listing of Kakadu as 'In Danger' would be completely consistent
with the listing of Yellowstone as in Danger in view of a proposed
gold mining operation near the outer boundary of the park. The
proposed uranium mining operation at Jabiluka is located in an
enclave surrounded by World Heritage park on all sides, and the
enclave itself contains sites of the very highest World Heritage
value including Australia's oldest archeological site.
Failure to list Kakadu as In Danger would be inconsistent with the
stand taken thus far on mining in National parks worldwide, in which
the Bureau and Committee have expressed extreme concern at any mining
operation anywhere near World Heritage park sites, listing the Mt
Nimba Nature Reserve in Guinea as 'In Danger' in view of a large
iron- ore mining operation.
It will be portrayed and seen generally as a green light for uranium
mines and other completely inappropriate developments in the middle
of World Heritage National Parks worldwide, with disastrous
implications for the entire World Heritage regime.
The US delegation to the World Heritage Committee wields considerable
influence and therefore has a great responsibility in this matter.
The US Government has acted rightly and responsibly in the matter of
Yellowstone, by not opposing an 'In Danger' listing and by preventing
the development that threatened the park.
We call on it to follow the advice of the Senator Mc Kinley letter
and act responsibly in the matter of Kakadu also, and not to allow
itself to be influenced by the aggressive and inappropriate lobbying
activities of the Australian government.
Yours Sincerely,
John Hallam
Nuclear Campaigner
Friends of the Earth Sydney.
- - - - - - - -
5: STATEMENT BY GUNDJEHMI ABORIGINAL CORPORATION
KEY US CONGRESS MEMBERS BACK KAKADU LISTING
The traditional owners of the Jabiluka Mineral lease have recieved
support from 34 members of the United States Congress in their eforts
to have kakadu national park declared 'in Danger' by the World
heritage Committee.
Executive officer of the Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation, Jacqui
katona said today:
"The United States is a key player in the World Heritage Committee
and influential members of Congress are ensuring that the United
States upholds the principles and standards of the World Heritage
Convention in deciding the international status of Kakadu."
"The Australian Government is desperately attempting to convince the
United States and other World Heritage Committee members to consider
Australia's financial contributions to UNESCO., the global uranium
market., trade-offs for UN posts - anything in fact, but the heritage
issues at stake."
The Mirrar, and the Australian Public, look to the World Heritage
Commitee to independently decide whether the Jabiluka mine endangers
Kakadu, nothing more and nothing less. It is already widely accpeted
by the international community including many US heritage experts,
that Jabiluka will negatively impact on Kakadu's cultural values - a
decision for an 'in Danger' listing on July 12v will simply make this
official."
"We are now quietly confident that the United States will vote on
the basis of expert opinion, and ignore the Australian Governments
attempts at diplomatic blackmail."
- - - - - - - - -
6- PLEASE SEND FAXES OR EMAILS TO:
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
FAX: 202/208-6956
EMAIL: exsec@ios.doi.gov
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