*EPF505 08/30/2002
Text: World Summit May Produce Agreement on Good Governance
(U.S. makes strong governance proposal at Johannesburg meeting) (550)

Johannesburg, South Africa -- The G-77 bloc of developing countries and China are showing signs they will agree to U.S.-proposed language for an international plan of implementation on good domestic governance, a member of the U.S. delegation to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) said.

In a meeting with reporters August 30 in Johannesburg, Kelly Johnson, deputy assistant attorney general for environmental and natural resources at the Department of Justice, said the United States hopes these countries can agree to "strong and clear language" that calls on countries to strengthen their laws, institutions and enforcement, fight corruption, ensure transparency, and promote public access to information, decision-making and justice.

"The bulk of the responsibility for good governance is with national governments," particularly those that wish to receive more foreign aid, said Sichan Siv, U.S. representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council at the same meeting.

Good governance requires cooperation at all levels of government ? local, state and national, added John Garner, major of Hempstead, New York, and vice president of the United States Conference of Mayors, at the meeting.

Following is the text of Johnson��s prepared remarks:

(begin text)

Opening Remarks of
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kelly Johnson
Environment and Natural Resources Division
U.S. Department of Justice

World Summit on Sustainable Development
Johannesburg, South Africa
August 30, 2002

The United States firmly believes that good domestic governance is key to achieving sustainable development.

By domestic governance, we refer to a broad range of issues that support the ability of governments and the public to make sound decisions about and act in the interest of promoting sustainable development at the national level.

These include:

-- Effective institutions

-- Education, science and technology for decision-making

-- Public access to information about laws, policies and environmental releases

-- Stakeholder participation in governmental decisions

-- Public access to justice

The United States has proposed strong and clear language in a draft Plan of Implementation which would call on all parties to strengthen their laws, institutions and enforcement, fight corruption, ensure transparency, and promote public access to information, decision-making and justice.

This position directly supports principles agreed in 1992 at [the first World Summit in] Rio [in 1992], is consistent with consensus reached at [the March 2002 UN Financing for Development conference in] Monterrey, and is reflected in a wide variety of U.S. laws, programs and institutions.

We continue to press for inclusion of language on good governance and are hopeful of securing positive language in the finally agreed test.

(The G-77 [bloc of developing countries] /China has recently shown some signs of being willing to accept such text, even though they have traditionally opposed it. Therefore, success is not guaranteed.)

Outside the negotiations the U.S. has been pressing its positions on good domestic governance throughout the summit.

We have participated in a number of side events sponsored by nongovernmental organizations and countries on good domestic governance.

Prior to the WSSD, we also participated in judicial and enforcement capacity building events sponsored by UNEP [United Nations Environment Program] and other partners. There events were designed to create further opportunities to build capacity for good domestic governance throughout the world after the Summit.

We will continue to press our message on good governance and our positions in the WSSD [World Summit on Sustainable Development] and beyond.

(end text)

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

Return to Public File Main Page

Return to Public Table of Contents