Richer Nations’ Aid Pledge Criticized

Delegates of developing countries accused the industrialized powers Saturday of offering scant long-term aid for economic and environmental projects in the Third World.

“So far we’ve received a pittance,” said Dr. Keng Yaik Lim, Malaysia’s minister of primary industries. “How can you save the rain forests, the planet’s wildlife, without funds?”

The United Nations has estimated that $125 billion is needed to implement Agenda 21, the summit’s blueprint for cleaning up the Earth.

At least $10 billion is needed to start the initiative next year. What was offered in Rio by the richest nations was well below that.

In all, contributions from the world’s seven richest countries total about $2 billion, “which is like giving nothing at all,” Lim said. “It will only cause a mad rush by the least developed nations for what few crumbs of aid there are.”

Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister and spokesman for the developing countries, told delegates that the wealthiest nations must come up with more money.

“Without such a commitment from our partners, the expectations from this conference may prove illusory,” Sharif told delegates.

On Friday evening, Colombian President Cesar Gaviria Trujillo complained that Agenda 21 pumped too much money into environmental projects, and not enough into developing Third World economies.