•A review of the five years since Rio, Earth Summit II showed collective irresponsibility by nation states for the earth's future

•The special session of the UN General Assembly was marred by nations wrangling to settle for the minimum possible

•The biggest disappointment was the decision on climate change. The US opposition has deferred taking any decisions on legally binding targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

•Decisions on desertification and poverty, finance and technology transfer, energy, transport and consumption patterns were also found wanting

•India by and large acted the silent spectator. The only two issues of interest for India was finance and the forest convention

•EU, led by the Netherlands, strongly favoured the forest convention

•The Summit finally settled for a diluted statement of commitment for further implemention of Agenda 21

•Said a disappointed Razali Ismail, the UNGASS President, that the failure to line up to the promise of Rio was an "absence of political will'.