*EPF107 08/19/2002
Text: Secretary Powell to Lead U.S. Delegation to Johannesburg Summit
(U.S. will present concrete proposals for development, says Bush) (520)

Secretary of State Colin Powell will lead the U.S. delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) scheduled for August 26 through September 4 in Johannesburg, South Africa, President Bush has announced.

In an August 19 statement, Bush said Powell would 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 U.S. delegation will travel to Johannesburg with concrete proposals for ways to advance development priorities such as clean water, modern energy, good health and productive agriculture, Bush said.

"Poverty remains a huge and urgent global problem that demands action by the entire world community," Bush said. "We will stand together in Johannesburg to bring our full support to this important battle."

Following is the text of Bush's statement:

(begin text)

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
(Crawford, Texas)

For Immediate Release
August 19, 2002

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

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 May. This new approach is based on shared accountability among developed and developing nations.

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.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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