Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said in his statement at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on Tuesday//yesterday*** that Norway is pledging NOK 375 million to following up the action plan adopted at the Summit.

In his statement Mr. Bondevik emphasized that it is not possible to fight poverty unless we also tackle the major environmental problems. Every year close to three and a half million people, most of them children, die from water-related diseases.

The NOK 375 million allocation will be used for priority tasks to be carried out in developing countries in the water, energy, health and agricultural sectors and in the field of biodiversity.

The Prime Minister commented that Norway has already allocated considerable resources to these areas, but that even more is needed.

“The Summit has reminded us of the enormous scale of the problems the world is facing. It is now important to fulfil the commitments we have agreed on here in Johannesburg,” he said.

In his statement Mr. Bondevik also said that we must respect the rights of indigenous peoples, and this is being included in the Summit action plan.

Norway has attached great importance to climate change and the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol in its preparations for the Summit. In his statement the Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction at Russia’s announcement that it will ratify the Protocol.