Final Moratorium Call on Promotion of Agrofuels

2nd October 2008

To: Coreper, the Council of Ministers, the European Commission, Claude Turmes (MEP) CC: ITRE and ENVI

Re: EU agrofuel targets

Dear Madam, Sir, In light of the upcoming negotiations between the Council, the European Commission and Claude Turmes (MEP) on the Renewable Energy Directive, the undersigned organisations are calling on  you once again, with the utmost urgency, to drop all agrofuel targets and to install a moratorium on the promotion of agrofuels and agro-energy. Despite overwhelming evidence of numerous ... read more

Posted on 03:31 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, land rights, palm oil, environment and climate

The EU’s responsibility in the global food crisis:

19th June 2008

(note: you can also read a French translation of this letter)

Trade liberalisation and deregulation are “false solutions”

Letter addressed by more than 35 European civil society organisations, networks and social movements to EU trade, agriculture and energy ministers ahead of the European Council.

To: Trade Ministers, Agriculture Ministers, Development and Energy Ministers MEPs and National Parliamentarians of EU Member States CC: EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson EU Agriculture Commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel EU Development Commissioner Louis ... read more

Posted on 02:43 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: food security, European Union (EU), Indonesia, palm oil, environment and climate

Release of former militia leader Eurico Guterres brings Indonesia’s farcical process to an end

Joint Letter

1st June 2008

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon Secretary-General The United Nations 1 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017-3515 Your Excellency, The recent release of former militia leader Eurico Guterres by the Indonesian Supreme Court brings Indonesia’s farcical process to an end. Meaningful justice to the long-suffering people of Timor-Leste is long overdue. We urge you to work to uphold the rule of law and strengthen the democratic transition in both countries. It time for the United ... read more

Posted on 02:06 PM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, East Timor, Publications, Transitional Justice, Transitional Justice
Tags: Eurico Guterres, Indonesia, conflict 1975 - 1999, East Timor, rule of law, criminal prosecution, transitional justice, United Nations, crimes against humanity, truth commission

Letter to UN Secretary-General on justice for East Timor

PO Box 21873, Brooklyn NY 11202 718-596-7668, etan@etan.org

His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon Secretary-General The United Nations 1 United Nations Plaza New York, New York 10017-3515

December 13, 2007

Mr. Secretary-General,

We are a coalition of more than 70 human rights organizations from 14 countries around the world, concerned about justice for the people of Timor-Leste. On this, your first visit as Secretary-General to Timor-Leste, we remind you that its people suffered countless war crimes and crimes against humanity during ... read more

Posted on 02:45 PM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, East Timor, Publications, Transitional Justice
Tags: human rights, East Timor, transitional justice, United Nations

Fuel Quality Directive should put the burden on the oil industry – not promote agrofuel expansion

Monday, 26th November 2007

Vote ENVI Committee 27th November

To: Members of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament

Dear MEP, The undersigned organisations welcome the proposed measures in the Fuel Quality Directive to force the fossil fuel industry to clean up and reduce emissions, and to prevent even dirtier fuels from getting to the market. We believe that article 7a is a positive step towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. However, ... read more

Posted on 08:16 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, environment and climate

As Security Council Readies Visit to Timor-Leste, Rights Groups Call For Justice and Accountability

 

PO Box 21873, Brooklyn, NY 11202 USA +1/917-690-4391; etan@etan.org

November 21, 2007

Dear Security Council member,

As your delegation prepares to leave for Timor-Leste, we write to urge you to pay careful attention to the transitional justice process for that country. As you will be aware, the people of Timor-Leste suffered countless war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Indonesian invasion and 24-year occupation of their homeland, in violation of numerous United Nations resolutions and human rights treaties. We remind you ... read more

Posted on 08:29 PM in Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, East Timor, Publications
Tags: Indonesia, conflict 1975 - 1999, human rights, East Timor, criminal prosecution, transitional justice, United Nations, truth commission

Open letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono concerning Col. Cav. Burhanuddin Siagian, Commander of the Resort Military Command 172/PWY Jayapura, Papua

28 June 2007

Dear President Yudhoyono,

We are writing to express our grave concern about the tenure of Col. Burhanuddin Siagian as commander of the Jayapura sub-regional military command (Korem 172/ PWY/Jayapura) in Papua. Col. Siagian has been indicted twice for crimes against humanity in East Timor (now Timor-Leste). Indonesia has not complied with its obligations under international law and Indonesian domestic law to prosecute Col. Siagian for his alleged crimes, and it has furthermore failed to extradite him to East Timor ... read more

Posted on 09:32 AM in democracy, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, East Timor, Papua, Publications, security sector, Transitional Justice
Tags: Indonesia, military, East Timor, Papua, impunity, criminal prosecution, transitional justice, crimes against humanity

Open Letter to the Members of European Parliament – Re: EU Biofuel Policy

4th June 2007

URGENT: re amendments and vote on the Draft Opinion on A Roadmap for Renewable Energy in Europe (Rapporteur: Britta Thomsen)

Dear Madam/Sir, As you know, the European Commission is currently working on a proposal for a revised Biofuels Directive, expected to be published in autumn. According to these plans, 10% of all transport fuels have to be biofuels by 2020. Many organisations now prefer to call biofuels ‘agrofuels’, since the word ‘bio’ fuels creates an image ... read more

Posted on 09:41 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Human Rights, Indonesia, Land & Indigenous Rights, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), poverty, biodiversity, food security, European Union (EU), indigenous people, Indonesia, land rights, human rights, palm oil, rain forest destruction

Letter to Ministers to abandon EU biofuel targets

Februrary 2007

Dear Minister,

OVER 160 ENVIRONMENTAL, DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS CALL UPON THE EU TO ABANDON BIOFUEL TARGETS.

In the build up to the EU Council meeting of Energy Ministers on February 14th, we are writing to you to highlight the concern of many organisations worldwide about proposed EU targets for biofuels. We are calling on you and your government to reject the proposal for EU-wide targets for biofuel use. At the time of writing over 160 organisations from Europe and the ... read more

Posted on 09:56 AM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), European Union (EU), Indonesia, palm oil, rain forest destruction, environment and climate

We call on the EU to abandon targets for biofuel use in Europe

31 January 2007

Open Letter

To: The Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and citizens in Europe

We are extremely concerned by the plans as presented by the European Commission to adopt a mandatory target for biofuel use in transport. Implementing these measures means that the EU will risk breaching its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect biodiversity and human rights; because, as set out below – the proposed targets will amongst other things ... read more

Posted on 01:27 PM in Agro Fuels, Joint Open Letters, Indonesia, Publications, Environment & Climate
Tags: agrofuel ("biofuel"), biodiversity, food security, Indonesia, human rights, environment and climate, certification