Number: 1989-03
WHEREAS, there is an increasing awareness of the global implications of environmental degradation in the developing countries; and
WHEREAS, environmental degradation is directly linked to the type of economic development undertaken in these countries; and
WHEREAS, action to reverse this degradation, and encourage a sustainable and wise use of natural resources in developing countries, and particularly in Latin America, involves support for debt relief measures that are conditioned on a country’s willingness to invest in conservation activities; and
WHEREAS, increased public participation in governmental decision-making is essential to promoting sustainable development; and
WHEREAS, economic development alternatives that promote a sustainable use of natural resources, and a respect for public participation in development, are two critical elements of a Congressional resolution that commemorates Brazilian environmental leader Francisco (Chico) Mendes Filho assassinated on December 22, 1988;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 16-19, 1989, in Arlington, Virginia urges Congress to support the “Chico” Mendes resolution and foreign aid legislation, including debt relief provisions that promote a more sustainable use of natural resources in the developing countries of the world.