§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals are being put by the United Kingdom to the 11th session of the United Nations Commission on sustainable development in New York; what ministerial level meetings are being held; and if she will place in the Library documents submitted to the 11th session of UNCSD relevant to United Kingdom policy. [111233]
§ Mr. MeacherMy right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State attended the High Level Ministerial Segment of the eleventh session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD11) in New York on 28–30 April 2003.
She stressed in particular the importance of the Doha Development Round and the contribution that agricultural subsidy reform can make to Sustainable development, and highlighted the UK proposal for an International Finance Facility (IFF) which would double aid to the poorest countries to $100billion a year up to 2015.
The UK helped prepare a number of EU statements and papers: copies will be placed in the Library.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State also held bilaterals in the margins with Mohammed Valli Moosa (Chair of CSD and South African Minister for Environmental Affairs and Tourism), Louise Frechette (UN Deputy Secretary General), Mark Malloch Brown (UNDP), Paula Dobriansky (US Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs), Ronnie Kasrils (South African Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry), David Kemp (Australian Minister for the Environment), Shri T R Baalu (Indian Minister of the Environment and 716W Forests), Marina Silva (Brazilian Minister of the Environment), Pieter Val Geel (Dutch Minister of Housing, Spatial Policy and Environment and Housing), David Anderson (Canadian Minister of the Environment) and Mohamed El Yazghi (Moroccan Minister of Country Planning, Water Resources and Environment).
§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whom she plans to appoint to chair the Trade Union Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development. [111367]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Trade Union Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development is currently chaired jointly by myself and John Edmonds, General Secretary of the GMB Union. Mr. Edmonds will be stepping down as co-chair at the next meeting of TUSDAC on 2 July. It is our intention that action to appoint a new co-chair should be completed in time for that meeting.