Outcomes from World Summit for Sustainable Development Prep Com IV | 7th June, 2002

Yet despite the current and looming crisis governments indicated at World Summit Prep Com IV that they are not prepared to take action. In particular a group of countries led by the USA are blocking any firm commitments being made.

Kofi Annan has stated water and sanitation are key priorities for The World Summit for Sustainable Development. However the reality of the process shows that the USA, Australia, Canada and Japan are blocking any proposals of substance including a target on sanitation and programme of action on halving the number of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015. The UK Government has committed to these targets through the recently announced EU Water Initiative.

Current negotiations look like a backward step compared to the Rio Summit 10 years ago since which environmental degradation has worsened whilst developed countries have increased their unsustainable consumption.

Unless pressure can be applied on the US Government in the next few weeks then Tony Blair's stay in Johannesburg will be marked by embarrassment as governments fail to produce plans which deliver a decent future for everyone on this planet.

It's alarming that a small number of governments can block the wishes of the majority of countries on what is such a basic human need,'' says Stephen Turner of WaterAid.

"We are encouraged that our government have taken a much more constructive approach to the Summit but we now urge Tony Blair to use whatever influence he has on the US to persuade them to change their current approach," says Joanne Green at Tearfund.

For more information call : sharon on 020 7 7934501 or out of hours on 0775 410 1977

Sharon Brand-Self
WaterAid
Media Relations Manager
Tel: 020 77934501
www.wateraid.org.uk
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WaterAid is the UK's only major charity dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene promotion to the world's poorest people. WaterAid's vision is of a world where all people have access to safe water and effective sanitation.

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