HC Deb 12 November 2001 vol 374 cc602-4W
Mr. Swayne

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures she is taking to ensure that water and sanitation issues are considered by the world summit on sustainable development; and if she will make a statement. [10934]

Mr. Meacher

I have been asked to reply.

To ensure that the UK views on water and sanitation are considered at the world summit on sustainable development (WSSD), I led the UK delegation to United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva in September. UNECE is the regional preparatory conference at which items for inclusion in WSSD are discussed. The conference agreed that WSSD should develop specific initiatives, building on work undertaken since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in areas such as freshwater and sanitation.

In December this year I will be leading the UK delegation to the International Conference on Freshwater in Bonn at which water and sanitation issues will be further discussed. The discussions at the Bonn conference will be reported to the second preparatory committee for the world summit on sustainable development.