UN sustainable development forum makes progress on draft action plan

As a key United Nations summit on development and the environment moved into its second day today, negotiators made progress on a draft action plan for combating poverty and preserving natural resources.

Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, delegates today agreed to 40 more paragraphs contained in the Draft Plan of Implementation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Lowell Flanders, the UN senior adviser coordinating the drafting groups for the negotiations, told a press briefing in Johannesburg that a "constructive spirit" had marked the talks. The chairman of the process had established 10 contact groups to work on key paragraphs, he noted, and particularly encouraging was the progress made on text relating to finance, trade and globalization.

Meanwhile, the Summit held the third and fourth in a series of five "partnership plenaries" dedicated to key issues identified by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan - water, energy, health, agricultural productivity and biodiversity.

In the morning plenary, delegates discussed the effect of agricultural subsidies on both developed and developing countries. Their talks also addressed market access for the products of developing countries and support for small farmers.