ENB @ WSSD - Johannesburg, 26 August

Monday, 2 September 2002
as of 7:00 pm

Ministerial Consultation:

As evening approached delegates within the ministerial consultations finally concluded their negotiations on outstanding provisions in the draft Plan of Implementation regarding energy. The full day of discussion resulted in the following compromise text:

improve access to reliable and affordable energy services for sustainable development sufficient to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including the goal of halving the proportion of people in poverty by 2015 (paragraph 8);
diversify energy supply by developing ï¿½advanced, cleaner, more efficient, affordable and cost-effective energy technologies, including fossil fuel technologies as well as renewable energy technologies, hydro includedï¿½ With a sense of urgency, substantially increase the global share of renewable energy sources with the objective of increasing its contribution to the total energy supplyï¿½ï¿½ (paragraph 19(e));
take action, where appropriate, to phase out subsidies inhibiting sustainable development (paragraph 19(p)bis); and
urge countries to develop and implement actions within the framework of CSD-9 (paragraph 19(s)).

The target on renewable energy was removed.

On questions regarding agreement at PrepCom IV on paragraph 47 regarding health services, delegates have been exploring means to address concerns regarding human rights either through re-opening the text of 47 or possibly placing text in: paragraph 6(d), which was agreed ad referendum and addresses issues of womenï¿½s equity; or 58(a). which addresses health care.

Photo below L-R: Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, First Lady Zanele Mbeki and Mrs. Nani Annan; Jacques Chirac, President of France; Nitin Desai and Roxana Desai with Nelson Mandela and Graca Machel

Monday, 2 September 2002
as of 1:00 pm

In the morning and afternoon, delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) met in Plenary to hear speeches from Heads of State and other senior officials. At the Plenaryï¿½s opening, Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa, Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, and Han Seung-soo, President of the UN General Assembly addressed the audience. This was followed by a presentation from the ï¿½Children of the Worldï¿½ and the addresses by Heads of State. In the afternoon, a round table of Heads of State and senior officials was convened to discuss the theme ï¿½Making It Happen.ï¿½ Above photo: Nelson Mandela, Nobel Laureate and former President of the Republic of South Africa being welcomed by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General and Thabo Mbeki, President of the Republic of South Africa.

Elsewhere, regarding the negotiations on the draft Plan of Implementation, the informal ministerial consultations convened in the morning and met throughout the day specifically focusing on draft text on energy.

Above photos L-R: Kofi Annan and Thabo Mbeki welcoming Megawati Soekarnoputri, President of the Republic of Indonesia; King Mohammed VI, Morocco with Kofi Annan, Mossomeh Ebtekar, Vice-President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

High Level Segment Opening Plenary:

Thabo Mbeki, President, Republic of south Africa, appealed to world leaders to communicate from Johannesburg that they are ready to be judged by the speed and commitment with which they implement their agreements, and that they will defeat global apartheid.

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General stressed the need for responsibility for each other, the planet and future generations, and said that the environment provides not only the resources on which society depends, but beauty and spiritual sustenance.

Han Seung-soo, President, UN General Assembly (UNGA), highlighted that the need to reverse ï¿½de-developmentï¿½ was as important as the need to promote sustainable development.

Listen to Plenary Address by Heads of State from:

Breaking News: Monday, 2 September 2002
as of 2:30 am (GMT+2)

The ministerial group continued negotiations late into the night, getting stuck on a procedural point regarding a reference to health care. That provision along with language on energy and sanitation are the only major issues left to be resolved within the draft Plan of Implementation.

Above photos: Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, Ethiopia came out thrilled from the WSSD negotiations; Members of the Third World Network.