Mr. Stuart Hayward said this week after returning from the Earth Summit and Global Forum '92 in Brazil.

Mr. Hayward, who attended both the conference and forum which ran from June 1 until last Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, returned home exhausted but convinced that thousands of government delegates gained a "new appreciation'' and an "intensity of feeling'' for global issues.

"Over 700 organisations and nearly 18,000 people came there to set an agenda for action,'' he said, adding he spent most of his time as facilitating negotiations for a treaty on debt at the Global Forum.

This treaty, Mr. Hayward said of which he was chairman, was only one of 37 negotiated by non-governmental organisations at the forum.

Non-governmental organisations, including those from women's, church, and environmental groups, spent their time negotiating treaties ranging from global environment issues to social and trading policies, Mr. Hayward said.

They also conducted analyses and set timetables for tackling the issues when they return home.

Mr. Hayward, who was congratulated by the non-governmental organisations for the work he did in Brazil, was also asked to chair a coordinating committee made up of representatives from around the world to set the action agenda for the debts treaty.

"We have been charged with coordinating efforts to reduce and eventually cancel the foreign debt in the entire globe,'' Mr. Hayward said, adding that he received a "real education'' on the concept of debt from the forum.

"We all hear about places like Brazil owing millions of dollars in debt, but we hardly hear about the cultural and ecological debt those in the North owe those in the South.'' Mr. Hayward said the forum also reaffirmed that non-governmental organisations' achievements often set the agenda in countries and gave these organisations the opportunity to network.

"NGOs have not recognised themselves and their roles in giving direction to policy in their countries,'' he said, noting that the Jaycees played a key role in introducing recycling to Bermuda.

"And they have not been aware of what other NGOs in other countries are doing.'' Mr. Hayward said he plans to contact non-governmental organisations in Bermuda to explain to them what occurred at the forum and what issues are important to Bermuda.

"We can negotiate our own action committees based on ideas that need attention and set up strategies to carry out these action plans,'' he said.

Mr. Stuart Hayward MP.