HC Deb 23 July 1997 vol 298 cc942-3
9. Mr. Corbett

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was the outcome of her discussions at the UN General Assembly special session in New York. [8364]

Clare Short

At the UN General Assembly special session in New York last month we stressed that tackling poverty and protecting the environment are inextricably linked and that the commitment to poverty eradication is the bridge that unites countries of the north and south. The special session agreed that all countries must have sustainable development strategies in place by 2002. My Department hopes to work in partnership with developing countries on the preparation of such plans.

Mr. Corbett

I thank my right hon. Friend and congratulate her and the rest of the delegation on pressing for the tackling of poverty and the environment at one and the same time. Will she describe the reaction to the Government's firm commitment to reverse the decline in the aid budget which took place under the previous Administration?

Clare Short

I am grateful to my hon. Friend. He will know that the countries of the industrialised world and of the developing world were deeply divided when they came to the special session because the industrialised countries had failed to keep the promises that they made at Rio, where they committed themselves to eradicating poverty. It was the British delegation that re-emphasised that objective and the commitment to reverse the decline in aid. That helped to change the mood of the conference. Thereafter, the negotiators tried to use our statement wording to bring about unity in the world—and nearly succeeded.

Many British people working in the UN system said after that meeting that they felt proud of their country in a way that they had not for a long time. That is quite humbling, but it shows the role that Britain can play in the world. We can all be enormously proud of the growing links between the poorer countries and the industrialised countries, and we hope for a more civilised future in which the environment will be protected and poverty eliminated.