Business world breathes sigh of relief as Jo’burg backs Doha deals

Date: 05/09/02

By Peter Chapman

THE LARGEST organisation representing Europe's employers, UNICE, declared itself well satisfied with the results of the Earth Summit.

Daniel Cloquet, director of industrial affairs at the Brussels-based umberella group, said it had acknowledged that companies have a leading role to play in development by creating the wealth to lift the world's poor out of poverty.

He said this contrasted with the picture a decade ago in Rio where EU business was not invited to speak.

'We are very pleased with the outcome,' said Cloquet. 'Frameworks have been put in place for international action. What is now important is how these agreements are going to be implemented,' he added.

Cloquet said a major plus for business was the summit's acceptance that foreign aid is not the only way to promote sustainable development.

'There is a recognition that the key is more growth and that more growth calls for a positive business environment with freer trade and good governance.

'If I was a manager of a company I would be motivated. I would have the impression that there are better prospects ahead,' he said.

Meanwhile businesses were particularly relieved that the summit also opted not to undo hard-won deals made at the World Trade Organisation's ministerial meeting in Doha last December and at last March's global meeting on financing development in Monterray, Mexico.

'The goals are not just in terms of environmental targets, sanitation and so on but it's also about promoting the world economy,' added Cloquet.

Daniel Cloquet, a director at UNICE, has stated that the organisation is satisfied with the results of the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg at the end of August 2002.

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