Organized by the tenth session of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD 10), it gathered many Heads of States and Governments, diverse organisation directors as well as representatives of major corporations.
French initiatives
France, together with the European Union, stresses the primacy of the UN negotiation process, which will lead to a global Action Plan in Johannesburg and a political declaration on the continuing involvement of the international community in the promotion and implementation of the Agenda 21 concept. France also testifies to her interest in “Type II” partnerships, which will mobilize energies at international, national and local levels in order to carry out practical actions complementing the appropriate agreements confirmed at the general level.
The government is presenting fifteen partnerships of this type, ten of which relate to the “WEHAB” priorities (water, energy, health, agriculture, biodiversity) proposed by the Secretary-General, and five corresponding to three other issues France sees as of value.
As regards the first two issues (water and energy), our proposals fit in well with the corresponding European Union initiatives. As regards water: we propose two partnerships, covering respectively the integrated management of water resources, as well as access to water and sanitation for the poorest among us. Energy is the subject of three proposals: on energy efficiency, decentralized energy and regional energy integration. Health is covered by the ESTHER initiative, with which several European countries are already associated. France is also concerned with the issue of agriculture, for which there are three partnerships: agricultural research, water economy through irrigation and the development of agro-ecological crops. As far as biodiversity is concerned, France has a dynamic role in the Congo Basin forests initiative.
The three other sectors in which we are presenting initiatives are:
- access to essential services: we propose, together with UNITAR, an initiative promoting guaranteed access to essential services.
- trade: two proposals - fair trade in Africa, and sustainable tourism.
- research, training and information: two proposals, with the International University of Sustainable Development (University of Lyon) and the world Francophone information system on sustainable development.
France has also expressed her interest in 28 initiatives presented by other participants.
French statements
Statement made by Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic
Johannesburg, September 4, 2002
Interview given by Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic to the BBC
Paris, August 16, 2002
Speech by Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Rennes, July 1, 2002
Kyoto Protocol: Communiqué issued by the Presidency of the Republic
Paris, May 31, 2002
France/US : Statements made by Jacques Chirac,
President of the Republic, during his joint press conference with George W. Bush, President of the United States of America
Paris, 26 May 2002
Speech by Jacques Chirac,
President of the Republic, to the plenary session of the International Conference on Financing for Development
Monterrey, March 22, 2002
Embassy of France in the United States - August 22, 2002
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