JAPAN

JAPAN
Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo, Nov. 28: Delegates from around the world were Tuesday to hold in Montreal the first meeting of countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in February this year. Another meeting was to open at the same time -- the 11th annual gathering under the 1992 U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, the foundation for the Kyoto treaty to fight global warming. The event should shift international efforts to curb greenhouse gases into higher gear.
The central question in Montreal is what will happen to the agreement after the end of its first commitment period, from 2008 to 2012, for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Developing countries
One crucial issue related to this question is how developing countries, which are not bound by the treaty, should be incorporated into the Kyoto framework.
New targets also need to be set for industrialized countries. Agreements on these issues should be worked out quickly.
The position Japan should adopt is very clear. It should fulfill its responsibility as the country that hosted the 1997 conference that produced the Kyoto Protocol by trying to persuade the United States and developing countries to join the pact.
There is an urgent need to drastically reduce the amount of greenhouse gases being spewed into the air. That requires pushing the world further in the direction of emission cuts set by the Kyoto Protocol.
ITALY
Corriere della Sera, Milan, Nov. 29: It is not surprising that the Arab regimes do not condemn terrorism "without ifs and buts," even if they themselves are the main target of Islamic terrorism.
The truth is that they defend a culture of conflict and hatred that is the essence of their power, as well as the same ideological root for Islamic extremists.
Poisoned symbol
It really seems that at the heart of terrorism there is a mortal trap into which the Arab regimes have fallen, a poisoned symbol that is waved at every cost, even to obstruct the development of an authentic democracy that may (eventually) result in a culture of life and freedom.
PAKISTAN
Daily Times, Lahore, Nov. 30: With the temperature in Kashmir valley plunging every day, quake victims wake up to promises of aid dollars yet to materialize and the prospect of debt hampering reconstruction efforts. Everyday their battle for survival becomes a little harder.
The international donors conference held in Islamabad on November 19 was heralded by the government as a resounding success. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was widely quoted as saying the total pledges of $5.9 billion had exceeded the country's expectations.
But philanthropists and humanitarian workers worry that celebrations have begun too soon. The bulk of the pledges made at the conference were in the form of loans, which may further burden Pakistan's stumbling economy.
Loans promised by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and others amount to more than $2.5 billion. Kemal Dervis, head of the UN Development Programme, has repeatedly explained that loans are not the answer to solving the crisis in Pakistan since cash from such provisions cannot be made available instantly. With the onset of the harsh Himalayan winter, Pakistan requires aid dollars today, not loans that will be handed out in staggered installments.
Quick fix
Even if these loans miraculously result in expedient payments, it is no more than a quick fix to the problem; a way to make President Musharraf look good while the country plunges further into debt. Church World Services, a humanitarian ministry stationed in Pakistan for more than 50 years, has voiced apprehensions about the long-term effects of loans. Speaking about the international donors conference, CWS regional director Marvin Parvez recently said, "the hard reality is that Pakistan already has $32 billion in debt and is paying billions in interest."
Church World Services also wonders how many donors will actually follow up on their pledges.
According to Toronto MP Jim Karygiannis, countries are already failing to live up to their promises to Pakistan.