Stockholm and Beyond
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This report represents the fruition of a year-long effort by the 27-member Committee to actively involve the interested public in our government's preparations for Stockholm. Our primary vehicle for solicting this citizen input has been a series of regional public hearings conducted over the past year. The first hearing was held in Miami last July, followed by one in Washington last November, and then six others held during March in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Houston, and Washington. Over 300 invitations were sent to a broad range of interests requesting citizens to either testify at a hearing or submit written statements and over 170 people accepted our invitations. Another 300 people submitted their views in writing in lieu of an appearance at a hearing. The transcripts of the hearings as well as the written responses accompanying this report reflect the diverse sources of information which the Committee enlisted. Scientists, doctors, lawyers, labor leaders, industrialists, environmental activists, and private citizensm while differing in their strategies for mankind's survival, wholeheartedly agreed to the need for bold collective action on behalk of the common environment all nations share. There was further unaminity of opinion on the significance of involving the American public in this country's domestic and foreigh policy-making, especially at a time when the average citizen feels increasingly removed from the day-to-day proceedings of Government. Although I realize that we are not the first Advisory Committee to assist you Department in formulating official policy, I feel that in one respect we have established an important precedent that bears repeating. This is the release by your Department of draft conventions and draft United States positions for public scrutiny prior to their being tabled in an international forum. The release of the draft conventions on Ocean Dumping, Endangered Species, Islands for Science, and World Heritage Trust served to illustrate that government and concerned citizenry can indeed form a mutually beneficial partnership. while not specifically recommending the continuation of this advisory committee, I wish to emphasize the significance of establishing some form of citizens advisory mechanism to bridge the gap between government and its constituency.