Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08THEHAGUE937
2008-11-07 16:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy The Hague
Cable title:  

NETHERLANDS AMBIVALENT ABOUT PROPOSED RIO-PLUS-20

Tags:  SENV IO NL 
pdf how-to read a cable
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UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000937 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV IO NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS AMBIVALENT ABOUT PROPOSED RIO-PLUS-20
CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 116436

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.

UNCLAS THE HAGUE 000937

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV IO NL
SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS AMBIVALENT ABOUT PROPOSED RIO-PLUS-20
CONFERENCE

REF: STATE 116436

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY.


1. (SBU) The Dutch government has serious reservations about
a proposed "Rio 20" Sustainable Development Summit in 2012,
and will probably end up supporting the EU consensus on the
issue. Econoff discussed reftel points November 7 with
Jurjen van der Vlugt, Senior Advisor, Environmental
Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Van der Vlugt said
the French were "insulted" that Brazil had failed to consult
them prior to announcing its intention to table a General
Assembly resolution on Rio 20, and therefore were disinclined
to be cooperative. He said the EU was currently debating the
Rio 20 proposal but had not yet reached agreement on a
response to Brazil. He expected France to seek a
postponement of the General Assembly resolution.


2. (SBU) Van der Vlugt said the Dutch government was "not
very enthusiastic" about Rio 20 because there is already an
established review timeline within the UN Commission on
Sustainable Development, culminating in the 2016/2017
appraisal. He added two caveats to the skeptical Dutch
stance: first, Development Minister Bert Koenders places a
high priority on sustainable development and might have a
personal interest in a Rio 20 summit; and second, the Dutch
in theory do see some value in a high-level meeting to look
at the overarching sustainable development work underway in
other individual fora.

CULBERTSON