APEC tackles security after climate compromise

AUSTRALIA: Asia-Pacific leaders tackled security issues, including food safety, on the last day of their summit on Sunday after compromising on climate change a day earlier with a vague plan to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum would turn to “human security” issues at their retreat in Sydney Opera House, including terrorism, food safety and pandemics.

Pacific Rim leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush, China’s President Hu Jintao and Russia’s Vladimir Putin adopted the “Sydney Declaration” on Saturday, calling on members to set voluntary, non-binding targets to cut emissions, while increasing energy efficiency and forests.

Proponents say the declaration creates consensus on the thorny climate change issue and will carry weight at a series of meetings in Washington, New York and Bali about replacing the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012. But green groups were dismissive.

“The Sydney Declaration is really just a Sydney distraction from real action on climate change,” Greenpeace energy campaigner Catherine Fitzpatrick said.

The declaration was seen as a compromise between rich and poor APEC economies, which together account for about 60 percent of the world’s economy.

Earlier this week, APEC ministers agreed to set up a food safety taskforce, chaired by China and Australia, to ensure the health and safety of the region’s population.

The action was not aimed at China, which has been grappling with a series of product recalls in a number of countries, ranging from toys to toothpaste, APEC host Australia said.

APEC trade and foreign ministers issued a statement on Thursday saying they recognised the need to improve food safety to ensure “the health and safety of our populations”.

Sydney, Sunday, Reuters