States must settle differences before UN sustainable development summit – Annan

The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today voiced hope that countries could find a way in the weeks remaining before the World Summit on Sustainable Development to resolve differences on outstanding issues in the conference’s draft plan of implementation.

“Progress since the [1992] Earth Summit has been slower than expected and – more important – slower than what was needed. A setback now would be a tragic missed opportunity,” the Secretary-General said in remarks this morning to a meeting of the so-called Friends of the Chair of the preparatory process for the World Summit, which is set to begin on 26 August in Johannesburg.

Over the last two years, significant strides have been made in addressing the challenges of development, particularly at the 2000 Millennium Summit, which not only defined the major goals but also galvanized political commitment at the highest level, Mr. Annan told today’s meeting, which is being chaired by South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

“That commitment helped lay the groundwork for successes at Doha and Monterrey,” the Secretary-General said, referring to recent international conferences on trade and financing for development. “Johannesburg must maintain this momentum, and show that in the face of a quintessential global challenge – the challenge of raising living standards while protecting the environment – multilateralism works and international cooperation is the way to go.”

Turning to the impasse over the Johannesburg document, Mr. Annan urged the meeting’s participants to reach an understanding on a common approach “to resolving these undoubtedly complex and politically sensitive issues.”

The Secretary-General said the Summit should seek to implement the existing global consensus on sustainable development, and avoid revising or re-interpreting the principles and agreements of this consensus.

In addition, he said efforts to build on the recent achievements in critical areas such as finance, trade and good governance should be “grounded in existing agreement or work that is already in progress in these areas.”

Mr. Annan also warned that the Summit should not be sidetracked by talks on issues that were already under discussion by other relevant forums, and urged that a greater focus on specific actions be placed in the five key areas of water and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity.