World leaders will continue on Tuesday to spell out their views on how to fight poverty and save the planet as the Johannesburg World Summit enters its final days.
There is also expected to be finality on the summit plan of action following more than a week of tough behind-the-scenes bargaining.
A council of high-level ministers had reached consensus by Monday on all outstanding issues with the exception of targets for introducing renewable energy sources. However, United Nations and South African officials said the discussions were virtually wrapped up.
The plan of action, together with the political declaration, are the two documents to be adopted at the conclusion of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) on Wednesday.
The Polish leader Aleksander Kwasniewski and Sweden’s Prime Minister Goran Persson are due to address the summit early on Tuesday. There will also be statements from Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and Ireland’s Prime Minister Bertie Ahern.
The European Union is expected to announce a major new initiative to help bring water and sanitation to millions of people in Africa, while the governments of South Africa and Iran are due to sign a memorandum of understanding on environmental co-operation.
In other news, the participants at the WaterDome in Johannesburg, a parallel event to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, agreed on Monday to support a sanitation target set for the developing world.
Richard Jolly, of the United Nation’s Human Development Report, said in terms of the agreement the number of people living without access to safe water and adequate sanitation would be halved by 2015.
”This breakthrough tops an already successful week in which many other commitments to water projects have materialised”, Richard said.
Several government officials and delegates visiting the WaterDome praised the water sector for their unified effort in creating awareness of issues and getting results.
Jolly said the African water ministers meeting at the WaterDome had established a permanent African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW). Through the council, ministers would join to find ways of providing water to all Africans. – Sapa