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The World Summit on Sustainable Development
Third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom-III)
New York, 25 March - 5 April 2002
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Monday, 1 April

Delegates met in Working Groups I and II in the afternoon to begin negotiations on the Chair's compilation text. Informal consultations on Partnership initiatives focusing on agriculture, food security and rural development were also held. Above photo: Working Group I Co-Chairs Maria Viotti (Brazil) and Kiyotaka Akasaka (Japan) with PrepCom Chair Emil Salim (Indonesia)  

   
Working Group I: Poverty eradication
   
PrepCom Chair Salim presented a ten-point outline of the manner in which he expects delegates to precede in the negotiation of the document. He encouraged delegations to identify the deliverables and concrete actions aimed at strengthening the implementation of Agenda 21, and emphasized that Type-II will be complementary to, and not a substitute for, the action plan to be developed from the chairman's text. He reiterated the General Assembly resolution stressing that: drafting exercises should be avoided as much as possible; previously-agreed-to language should not be reintroduced, and that the group should complete its work by the end of this week.
 
< Members of the G-77/China huddle to discuss paragraphs on poverty eradication.

Regarding the establishment of a World Solidarity Fund for Poverty Eradication, the G-77/China called for a fund that immediately addresses urgent problems, and that this could be the first major contribution toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He said if no delegation objected to its establishment, then the heads of state should call for acceptance of the fund.
 

On the establishment of the World Solidarity Fund, the US suggested language that it be established pursuant to modalities to be determined by the UN General Assembly. He also asked that the paragraph remain in brackets for now.

The US opposed a proposal by Tuvalu to initiate an intergovernmental negotiating process to develop an international legally-binding agreement to facilitate access to safe drinking water. The EU, Turkey and others also said it could not accept this proposal at this stage. Turkey said there is much to be done at the national level
  

Norway supported initiating a global plan of action on water, which would extend to sanitation and water resource management.
 
 
Hungary asked if the outcome of this week's work was to be another Chairman's text, or a negotiated outcome. He also called for more concrete deadlines and goals. In response, Chair Akasaka said the group's task was to agree on a document containing the results of the review and assessment as well as conclusions and recommendations for further action, which must be completed by Friday.
 
The US noted the length of the new text, and how many of the new ideas contained are in fact very similar. He proposed that these new ideas be synthesized into a short passage, and that the same should be done for all sections of the new text. He expressed his fear that as the text becomes longer, it will lose coherency and thus lose sight of what needs to be accomplished.
 

Spain, for the EU, called for the consistent use of terminology, and for references to the Millennium Development Goals.

 
Iran opposed a passage stating that environment degradation leads to poverty, insisting instead that it is poverty that causes environmental degradation.
 

Regarding the chapter on the eradication of poverty, Switzerland proposed stating several fundamental principles. Chair Akasaka reminded delegates that the point of this week's discussion was to focus on concrete proposals, not on restating Agenda 21.

He later underlined the need for a globally legally binding instrument on water.
 

Delegate of France conferring with a representative of Gabon
Working Group II: Health and sustainable development
Co-Chair Ihab Gamaleldin (Egypt)
 

Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China, supported a reference to poverty eradication and specific illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
On collaborations between private and public sectors to address specific health concerns, Norway called for strategic impact assessments.
 
On policies, strategies and programmes related to health, the Holy See supported addressing opportunities and education in sanitary practices.
 
Partnerships: Initiatives focusing on agriculture, food security and rural development
Delegates in the Partnerships meeting
 
The Popular Coalition to Eradicate Hunger and Poverty called for a platform of action for access to land as well as land alliances for national development. She hoped that a consensus document would be adopted in Bali.
 
Ghana suggested circulating a list with all the proposed partnerships so that interested countries can start making contact with other partners.  

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