But Mr Secrett said there were no binding rules to control what he called "predatory corporations" from doing environmental damage in developing countries. "It is all about voluntary business action and market expansion," he said.
The summit is billed by the United Nations as the biggest conference in history, with up to 100 heads of state and 60,000 delegates expected to attend. But with the summit due to officially start this morning, only 20,000 delegates have registered so far.
Non-government organisations and protest groups have called on South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki to stand up to the US and EU to safeguard the environment of developing countries. But he is more likely to be watching reaction to a demonstration outside the conference today by black Zimbabweans living in South Africa. They are demanding that Pretoria impose sanctions against the Government of President Robert Mugabe.
Although there are no official figures, between 1 and 2 million economic refugees from Zimbabwe are estimated to live and work in South Africa. Their presence is putting pressure on Pretoria, with South African workers claiming the immigrants are taking their jobs. Britain's Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, yesterday said Mr Mugabe's land reform policies were reducing his people to starvation. But Mr Straw, writing in The Observer newspaper, said criticism of Mr Mugabe should not dominate the summit.
Britain's Conservative opposition has called on the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who is due to address the summit an hour before Mr Mugabe, to boycott the Zimbabwean leader's speech. Facing international criticism for expelling white farmers from their land, Mr Mugabe retained his most loyal ministers in a surprise cabinet reshuffle on Friday, the official Sunday Mail newspaper said. It said the ministers retained included the Agriculture Minister, Joseph Made, who is in charge of the land seizure program, the Justice Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, and the Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo.***
Mac attack over new Afrika snack By Andrew Osborn London - SMH (August 26 2002) [Full Text] Norwegians are up in arms over a new McDonald's sandwich called the McAfrika, launched at a time when 12 million people are facing starvation in southern Africa. The hamburger has infuriated the Norwegian aid agencies and fuelled a storm of bad publicity for the American fast-food giant. The concoction of beef, cheese, tomatoes and salad in a pitta-style sandwich is said to be based on an authentic African recipe and is being sold to Norwegian consumers for about $7.80.
But agencies trying to raise funds to stave off a famine in southern Africa say the timing of the McAfrika campaign is insensitive, and have demanded remedial action from McDonald's. "It's inappropriate and distasteful to launch a hamburger called McAfrika when large portions of southern Africa are on the verge of starvation," said Linn Aas-Hansen of Norwegian Church Aid. Members of the aid group have been doling out "catastrophe crackers" - the biscuits given to starving people in Africa - outside the firm's Oslo branches. In response, McDonald's Norway has offered to allow aid agencies to put collection boxes and fundraising posters in its Norwegian restaurants - but only in those selling McAfrika burgers, and only for as long as the "special promotional burger" remains on sale. - The Guardian [End]
"catastrophe crackers"
They should call them Muggets.
The world's business (South Africa is hosting this summit, however, president Thabo Mbeki does not feel the need to condemn Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe. Instead they have an agreement that South Africans owning farms in Zimbabwe will not be evicted. Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo doesn't denounce Mugabe's political cleansing either. Not many African leaders or LIBERAL activists do. Why is that?)
Aug. 25, 2002, 11:40PM Majority of Britons want to leave country*** LONDON - More than half of Britons would like to emigrate from their homeland, fed up with the price of living and terrible weather, and would prefer to live in the United States or Spain, a survey published on Monday said. Fifty-four percent of Britons surveyed by pollsters YouGov for the Daily Telegraph newspaper said they would like to settle abroad if they were free to do so. Similar polls found just 42 percent wanted to emigrate in 1948 shortly after World War Two, and only 40 percent in 1975. Of those wanting to leave Britain behind, the United States was the most popular destination followed by Australia. ***