By Chen Ming
Xinhua News AgencyAugust 29, 2002
The United States government has announced partnership initiatives for sustainable development in the world as a countermeasure against the specific timetable advocated by the European Union.
The announcement was made by US Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky at a press conference held Thursday in the Sandton Convention Center along with the on-going World Summit on Sustainable Development. She said that the US delegation brought with five initiatives in areas of housing, oceans, biodiversity, education and other sectors, calling governments, non-government organizations, civil societies and private sector to take joint actions.
"Much attention has been placed on the text of the Johannesburg Plan of Action, which now runs to some 30,000 words. Words are good, actions are better," she said. She said that only concrete actions can prevent children form contracting water-borne diseases, allow families to cook meals indoors without risking fatal respiratory illnesses, protect delicate African ecosystems and prevent the transmission of deadly virus to children and mothers.
The first initiative of the US government is water for the poor. It will expand access to clean water and sanitation services, improve watershed management, and increase the efficiency of water in industrial and agricultural activities.
This initiative will help achieve the UN Millennium Declaration Goal of cutting in half by 2015 the proportion of people who lack safe drinking waters. Under this initiative, the US government will invest 970 million US dollars over three years, which can leverage private resources to generate more than 1.6 billion dollars for water-related activities globally.
The second is clean energy initiative. It seeks to provide millions of people with new access to energy services, increase the efficiency of energy use, and significantly reduce readily preventable deaths and respiratory illnesses associated with motor vehicle and indoor air pollution. For this initiative, the US government proposed to invest up to 43 million dollars in 2003 to leverage about 400 million dollars in investments from the United States and other governments, the private sector, and development organizations.
The third initiative is to cut hunger in Africa. The United States will spur technology sharing for small-holders, strengthen agricultural policy development, fund higher education and regional technology collaboration, and expand resources for local infrastructure in transportation, marketing, and communications. The United States is committed to invest 90 million dollars in 2002, including 53 million to harness science and technology for African farmers and 37 million dollars to unleash the power of markets for small holder agriculture.
The fourth is Congo Basin forest partnership, which will promote economic development, alleviate poverty, improve governance, and conserve natural resources in six central African countries, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Republic of the Congo. The United States intends to invest up to 53 million dollars over the next four years to support sustainable forest management and a network of national parks and protected areas.
The last is the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria through financial and technical support for the Global Fund and the International Mother and Child HIV Prevention Initiative. The Bush Administration has requested 1.2 billion dollars in 2003 to combat these three diseases. These efforts will help achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halting by 2015 the spread of HIV/AIDS and the scourge of malaria and other communicable diseases.
Contrary to the United States, the European Union hold at the summit that it is important to set the timetable to address the five major issues confronting the world, especially in the developing countries. But, Andrew Natsios, administrator of the US Agency of International Development, said that the United States does not want to be committed to such timetable.
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