JOHANNESBURG, 30 August — The European Union and the United States yesterday staked rival claims to the title of champion donor, each unveiling programs at the Earth Summit to help the world’s two billion poorest and protect the environment. In presentations crafted to seize the spotlight, the world’s biggest economic powers declared their support for "partnership" initiatives, in which donor nations, corporations, charities and local governments team up in the cause of sustainable development.
The United States sought to shrug off the role of pantomime demon with which it’s been saddled since the 10-day summit began on Monday — an unpopularity enhanced by President George W. Bush’s snub of next week’s gathering of heads of state and government. It promised to commit at least $1.1 billion in partnership schemes over the next four years to help provide clean water and sanitation, give access to electricity, boost African farming productivity and conserve forests in Africa’s Congo Basin.
"The United States is the world’s leader in sustainable development," Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, leading the US delegation, told a press conference. "No nation has made a greater contribution and a more concrete contribution to sustainable development," she declared. Dobriansky defended Bush against charges of unilateralism and complained about the media’s focus on the row to agree on the summit’s blueprint for action on sustainable development.
The draft document has been arena for fierce political battles in which the United States has objected to setting hard goals and deadlines. "Much attention has been placed on the text of the Johannesburg plan of action, which now runs to some 30,000 words," Dobriansky said. "Words are good, actions are better."
The European Union, for its part, declared it would unveil two "major" partnerships in water and electricity in the coming days. They will add to the $2.1 billion that the EU provides in aid to these sectors each year, said the European Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielson. The Commission added that the EU planned to provide 200 million dollars to fight the major killer diseases of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. (The Independent)
