“Universality and shared responsibilities cannot be a pretext for the abdication of historical responsibility or to legitimize the kicking away of the developmental ladder.”

He also criticised proposals to move the focus of the future development agenda away from poverty eradication to climate change and sustainable development.Narang invoked Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s concept of “Antyodaya” – – upliftment of the poorest of the poor – as an expression of equity.

“Our responsibilities are common but they are also necessarily differentiated and this notion of equity must be a central creed for collective action in the new agenda” that is being developed to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) set to end this year, he said.

Available at: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/479996/india-dont-use-environment-pretext.html