APPEAL FOR STOPPING NATO AGGRESSION AGAINST FR YUGOSLAVIA AT THE OCCASION OF 22nd April, 99 "WORLD DAY OF THE PLANET EARTH'

Since March 24, 1999, without any international legal and without any factual cause, NATO keeps severely bombing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. At the occasion of 22nd April, "World Day of the Planet Earth", we would like to point out to you and all benevolent people throughout the world, that apart from NATO forces aggression lasting almost a month, enormous civilian fatalities and destruction has already provoked environment catastrophe, posing threat to millions of Yugoslavs, neighboring countries and Europe.

These air-raids in particular affect the most vulnerable groups of the population: babies, children, elderly, as well as sick people, disabled and unemployed. People are nervously exhausted, malnourished and impoverished, which will no doubt effect future generation genetically. Due to the regular daily air-raids that cause vast destruction, the number of people getting ill has increased, people are suffering and the health of population is endangered. >From the very beginning of the aggression NATO forces are targeting all kinds of civilian facilities: hospitals, schools, faculties, private houses and buildings, state institutions, sacral and cultural monuments, bridges, roads, rail-roads, mines, power-plants, industrial facilities, hotels, sport and recreation centers. The damage caused to the civilian targets is far greater than the damage caused to the military targets. Even the national parks are not spared of the everyday attacks (Kopaonik, Tara, Durmitor), nature reservations hosting protected flora and fauna species, as well as monuments of the natural and cultural heritage.

The targets are also monuments listed in the world natural and cultural heritage, the world biosphere reservations as well as the marshland and wetland of the international importance. Apart from genocide caused by NATO aggression NATO is committing an ecocide in FR Yugoslavia and wider in the Balkans region and significant part of Europe. In its heart Europe is undergoing an environment catastrophe of the unforeseeable time and space scope. Chemical, oil and pharmaceutical industry plants are being repeatedly bombed by NATO forces in the close vicinity of the large cities, such as Belgrade with its 2 million inhabitants, Novi Sad, Pristina, Pancevo, Subotica, Smederevo, Cacak, Krusevac. The enormous quantities of life threatening substances are emitted, poisoning air, earth and entire biosphere. Dangerous ecotoxic and toxic substances (vinyl chloride monomer, chlorine, chloral oxide, ammonia, nitro oxides), oil and its derivative combustion products, and other products of secondary and uncontrolled chemical reactions. Human lives are lost, sensitive and rare ecosites are destroyed, river flows and underground waters are polluted, and the air pollution is widespread causing long range earth pollution and endangering agricultural areas and woodland, largely threatening biodiversity. Thousands of Yugoslavs in the past days have turned to medical help due to poisonous gas effects caused by NATO bombing of chemical plants in Yugoslavia.

This is another evidence of the crime against humanity done by NATO aggressors. Further consequences are yet to be examined. NATO bombing of oil refineries caused the enormous influx of oil into the Danube (oil spot is 15 km long and 4 hundred meters wide). This has seriously effected flora and fauna of the most important European river and the Black Sea, and endangered water supply for the people of several neighboring countries as well. Chemical compounds formed by the bomb and missile explosions as well as the fires following destruction of edifices and woods surrounding them, are extremely harmful. Bearing in mind that NATO aggressor is using forbidden cluster bombs, these threatened areas are covering even wider region. In the last couple of days NATO has been employing airplanes A-10 type, using ammunition and missiles with uranium (forbidden genocide weapon for both parties), which pose a special threat. According to the results of the British laboratory "Coghill" tests and tests of health organizations, it was established that the employment of the weapons has provoked raise of malignances and leukemia ("Gulf syndrome") and deformities at newborn babies.

NATO aggressor does not observe basic principles of the international law, such as: United Nations Charter, Convention of the Protection of the Cultural Heritage during the Armed Conflicts, Convention of the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, etc.

The principles of Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development, 1992, are violated, in particularly Principle 24 "War in its nature has destructive influence on the sustainable development. The states shall follow international law pertaining to environment protection during armed conflicts, and if necessary cooperate in its further development", as well as Principle 25 according to which "Peace, development and environment protection are interdependent and harmonious ".

Taking into accounts these facts and regarding the consistent peace policy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia we appeal to you to act in emergency and within the framework of your authority undertake all measures necessary to immediately stop NATO aggression and prevent further environment destruction on the wider range of Europe and Mediterranean. We would appreciate very much if you could convey this appeal to the other member countries of the anniversary "World Day of the Earth Planet".

FEDERAL MINISTER FOR DEVELOPMENT SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT

Prof. JAGOS ZELENOVIC, Ph.D.