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

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 AdministratorChristie 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.

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.