ISLAMABAD, March 13: Public and private sector cooperation is indispensable for implementation of the recommendations made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held at Johannesburg, 2002 with regard to the biodiversity guidelines.

This was the consensus reached upon by the participants of the three-day convention on “Forging partnerships for sustainable development; the road from Johannesburg”, organised by the Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), an NGO, here on Thursday.

Talking about the outcome of the convention, National Programme Director, LEAD, Ali Touqeer Sheikh said various non- profit organizations including the LEAD had forged nine partnerships with different governmental and non-governmental organizations for implementing recommendations of the WSSD.

Mr Touqeer said the private sector was actively cooperating with the Government of Pakistan in devising national energy conservation strategy and biosafety guidelines.

“Though, Pakistan is a signatory to the International Biosafety Protocol, it has not yet finalised its biosafety guidelines,” Mr Sheikh said. He maintained that these guidelines would put in place legal requirements for import, export, safety, transport, sale and handling of genetic engineering seeds, crops and foods, besides setting conditions for the researchers.

Through a consultative process, he said, the National Commission on Biodiversity and the LEAD including a number of other civil society organizations would jointly devise biosafety guidelines to be adopted by the federal government.

Under another partnership, he said, “the ministry of environment, and NGOs would enhance cooperation among the the public-private sectors for achieving water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity targets and the millennium development goals outlined in the WSSD.”

He said the Energy Conservation (ENERCON), some oil companies and NGOs would also jointly devise National Energy Conservation Strategy based on the consultative process. “This project will explore ways to diversify energy supply by developing advanced, cleaner, more efficient, affordable and cost-effective energy technologies and renewables to ensure sustainable development,” he added.

Under another project, he informed the participants, a study was being planned to assess the direct and indirect impact of cotton cultivation on Indus River delta.

“The study would draw linkages between water resources use in cotton production and their actual requirements for ecosystem functioning in the selected focal regions selected,” he said. While the partnership announced between Essential Institutional Reforms Operationalisation Programme (EIROP)-NWFP and the LEAD would focus on conducting training for Nazim, Naib Nazim and state functionaries through visits to the model districts, Ali said.

“This will provide the public representatives an opportunity to personally gain first-hand information about exemplary cases of leadership, development and good governance initiatives in various districts and then replicate these examples in their own districts,”he said.