Global political charter to rally Greens

Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown who is chairing the Global Greens conference in Australia

In this story: Document of encouragement Global warming on agenda Surge in popularity RELATED STORIES, SITES

By CNN's Grant Holloway

CANBERRA, Australia (CNN) -- The world's first large-scale conference of global Green political parties, to be held this weekend, plans to establish an international manifesto for Green parties and their supporters world-wide.

The conference, being held in the Australian political capital of Canberra, has attracted more than 700 people, including more than 250 Green members of national parliaments from 29 nations.

QUOTE "We want the power of charting the future to be in elected parliaments, not the World Trade Organization and large trans-national corporations. " - Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown

The international charter, which will most likely be ratified at the conference on Sunday, will define Green aims in resisting "corporate-governed development" and providing "positive globalization" in its place.

The conference will be chaired by Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown.

Brown told CNN Thursday that the charter has been under development for two years and would be accompanied by a global policy document which could be used to unite Green parties and supporters, particularly in developing countries.

Document of encouragement

"The charter will help with the development of Green movements and parties in countries such as India, Thailand and the Philippines," Brown said. "It will be a document of encouragement."

Brown said that Green parties were emerging as the main alternative to economic rationalism with policies aimed at empowering people economically and socially, and ensuring genuine democracy existed.

"We want the power of charting the future to be in elected parliaments, not the World Trade Organization and large trans-national corporations. Issues like global warming, the growing gap between rich and poor and enhancing democracy are high on our agenda," he said. "Underpinning all this is looking after the environment," he said.

Global warming on agenda

The U.S. rejection of the Kyoto Protocol will be debated

The conference would also discuss the issue of the United States pullout from the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, Brown said.

"There is a strong feeling amongst the Greens that the rest of the world should not be held back because of this," he said.

The Greens were likely to adopt "a more realistic" line of combating global warming than the Kyoto Protocol or some of the alternative proposals, such as increasing carbon sinks, now being put forward to replace it.

Among the high profile guests at the conference are French Environment Minister Dominique Voynet and the founder of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya, Wangari Maathai, who has been imprisoned for her environmental beliefs.

Also attending will be Paul Lannoye, co-leader of the Green Group in the European Parliament; Adamou Garba, secretary general of the African Federation of Green Parties and Satako Watanabe, Japanese member of parliament for the Rainbow/Greens.

Surge in popularity

The Greens Party in Australia is riding a surge of renewed popularity following strong showings in recent regional elections.

The Greens polled more than 7 percent of the vote in a State election in Western Australia earlier this year and are tipped to win up to five seats in the Australia's upper house of parliament when a general election is held, most likely in November this year.

Such a result would probably give the party the balance of power in Australia, allowing it to significantly influence legislation.

The first Green parties were founded 29 years ago in Tasmania, Australia, the State which Brown represents, and in Wellington, New Zealand. They are now active in more than 70 countries.

In New Zealand, the Green party is key member of the Labor Party led coalition government and in Belgium the Greens recently won 25 percent of the national vote.

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Global Greens Conference

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