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. |
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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.
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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
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Norway
supported initiating a global plan of action on water, which
would extend to sanitation and water resource management. |
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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.
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| 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. |
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Spain,
for the EU,
called for the consistent use of terminology, and for references
to the Millennium Development Goals.
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| Iran
opposed a passage stating that environment degradation leads to
poverty, insisting instead that it is poverty that causes environmental
degradation. |
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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.
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Delegate
of France conferring with a representative of Gabon |
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