Don't use Montreal deal for trade: PM

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday told world delegates in New Delhi that India was against the use of trade restrictions on countries to ensure compliance with the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS).

Dr Singh also expressed dissatisfaction over the extent of transfer of technology to developing countries to help them phase out ODS.

While conceding success to the international treaty in the protection and conservation of environment, Dr Singh said the provision in the protocol that enables use of trade restrictions was 'a source of concern'. "Let us not seek trade advantages through the instrument of environmental treaties. This would nullify gains for developing countries accomplished after strenous negotiations in the WTO regime," he said.

The Prime Minister was speaking after inaugurating the high-level segment of the 18th Meeting of Parties to Montreal Protocol. He said the flow of multilateral and bilateral resources for poverty alleviation should not be trimmed to accomplish 'unrelated environmental objective'.

"Let us, instead, ensure the financial and technology resources needed to accomplish agreed environmental objectives, consistent

with growth and poverty alleviation, are indeed additional," Dr Singh said.

The Prime Minister also expressed disatisfaction with the extent of technology transfer to help the developing countries phase out

ozone-depleting substances.

He said though the protocol has been to a great extent successful in its objective, it could have done better in terms of the realisation of broader goals of sustainable development in developing countries, which must be a principal aim of multilateral enviromental agreements.

"I say this because technology transfer has not occurred to any significant extent. I am not referring to the simple sale of capital equipment embodying the technology, and related training in operations. Rather, I am talking about the development of capacity in developing countries to manufacture and further develop capital equipment," he said.