[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 34 (Monday, August 26, 2002)]
[Page 1390]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement Announcing the United States Delegation to the World Summit on 
Sustainable Development

August 19, 2002

    I am pleased to announce that Secretary of State Colin Powell will 
lead the American delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable 
Development, to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from August 26 
through September 4.
    Secretary Powell will be joined by Environmental Protection Agency 
Administrator Christie Todd Whitman, Chairman of the Council on 
Environmental Quality James Connaughton, U.S. Agency for International 
Development Administrator Andrew Natsios, and Under Secretary of State 
Paula Dobriansky.
    The World Summit has a unique opportunity to advance the new 
approach to development that I embraced with other national leaders at 
the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development this past March. * 
This new approach is based on shared accountability among developed and 
developing nations.
    * White House correction.
    The United States is a leader in creating more effective ways to 
combat poverty and raise standards of living, recognizing that progress 
begins with sound domestic policies that promote good governance, 
investment in people, and economic freedom. The U.S. delegation will 
come to Johannesburg with concrete and practical proposals for strong 
and lasting partnerships to advance some of the world's key development 
priorities--clean water, modern energy, good health, and productive 
agriculture--that can lead us to a world without poverty. Poverty 
remains a huge and urgent global problem that demands action by the 
entire world community. We will stand together in Johannesburg to bring 
our full support to this important battle.