of the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil.

Mr. Roosevelt Brown, one of 200 members of the International Task Force that co-ordinated the event, was asked to remain a member of the steering committee of the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to ensure the continuity of the post-summit work for the next year or more.

An ecological engineer specialising in rural development world-wide, Mr. Brown has served as a consultant to various United Nations bodies since 1962. He has been involved with the Summit since 1989 after he was nominated by Tunisia and seconded by Canada.

At the Summit, the 60-year-old was called on to serve as a member of the Steering Committee of Non-Government Organisations (NGOs), which he defined as "any organisation that is not Government and can register with the United Nations as an accredited organisation providing it meets the criteria of the United Nations''.

Mr. Brown said those criteria are that the organisations submit their charter or constitution to the United Nations (UN), stating who can become a member and how the group will function to benefit world peace.

"The best thing that has emerged worldwide relating to the Earth Summit is the networking that has taken place among the NGOs enabling a grass-roots perspective into the United Nations,'' he said.

While at the Earth Summit, the ecologist worked primarily on three documents -- poverty, affluence and consumption; human settlements dealing with the rights of everyone in the world to shelter, be it urban, rural or forest and biological diversity.

Mr. Brown, also an organiser of the Progressive Labour Party, said the major topics discussed at the summit and the treaties and the regions, all reported to the steering committee.

After the 2,000 people from all over the world completed their NGO inputs, it was all pulled together at a month-long International Forum held at the UN headquarters in New York of which he was co-chairman.

"The NGOs have produced a score of alternative treaties to those signed by the heads of governments at the Rio Summit. They are designed to guide people into taking matters of environment and development into their own hands. These are living treaties, and they can be enlarged on.'' Mr. Brown said the treaties proposed by the NOGs detailed objectives which they themselves are prepared to carry out.

After he leaves Bermuda, Mr. Brown will resume his work with the Earth Summit.

He has also been asked to step up his work as co-organiser of the Pan African conference to be held in West Africa in 1995.