Remarks of Ambassador Harriet Babbitt, USAID Deputy Administrator

This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Remarks of Ambassador Harriet Babbitt, USAID Deputy Administrator
to the Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony
with the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
and the University of Cape Town
February 19, 1999

I am so glad to be with you here today to lend USAID’s support to this important partnership. This is my first visit to your country, and I have been deeply moved by the extraordinary beauty of this land – which is matched by the vibrant spirit of its people. What an exciting time to be in this marvelous country!
And there could be no more hopeful note on which end my stay here than by signing this Memorandum of Understanding that will help to assure environmentally sound sustainable development.
Your progressive development plans promise a bright future – a future in which your country’s great natural beauty will be preserved for future generations to cherish. USAID is proud to participate in that effort.
Supporting our partners' efforts to promote sustainable development and sound environmental management has long been an important objective of USAID. As part of the U.S. government commitment to South Africa’s future, USAID has been supporting South Africa’s sustainable development and environmental management initiatives since 1994. We provided a $385,000 grant to the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa to support community driven environmental initiatives.We are very pleased that tens of thousands of South Africans have benefited from these initiatives.
Our agency is also supporting the efforts of three South African metropolitan areas to implement Local Agenda 21 activities.
Agenda 21 is a visionary environmental action program for the 21^st century which grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environmental Development in Rio de Janiero. It involves a thoughtful web of proposals for reducing chemical wastes and protecting forests, and for price and trade policies that encourage sound environmental decisions.
Agenda 21 was intended to be implemented by national governments, provincial and local authorities, community organizations and private citizens. One of its objectives is that each municipality draw up its own local Agenda 2l in close consultation with the people of the community. These local agendas would vary, but all would focus on the principle of sustainable development.
Through the Binational Commission’s Conservation, Environment, and Water Committee, a close and sustainable partnership has been forged between South African and U.S. government agencies, including USAID. We are committed to helping South Africa achieve wise environmental management and sustainable development.This partnership between our two countries has been mutually beneficial. The United States has learned much from our South African colleagues. The Binational Commission has an impressive record of sustainable development and environmental management initiatives:

It has supported the "Working for Water" project, which has been the single largest public employer in South Africa.

It has provided training, exchanges, and information sharing in areas such as solid waste, mining, waste management, environmental impact assessments, and strategic planning.

It has supported an International Best Water Management Practices Workshop and technical assistance to help improve flood warning and water management in the Vaal River Basin.

These are the fruits of a true partnership between the governments and peoples of the United States and South Africa.
I am particularly proud of the initiative that brings us together this afternoon.
Through the South African Department of Constitutional Development -- and in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism -- USAID is providing more than 4 million Rand for the development of a two-pronged program involving Cape Town University.
We see great potential for the long-term impact of the first aspect of this initiative. In cooperation with South Africa’s historically disadvantaged universities, the University of Cape Town's Environmental Evaluation Unit will design and implement sustainable development training courses and manuals. These training tools will increase the capacity of government officials to address South Africa's highest environmental priorities.
The second part of this initiative supports the university in taking the lead in certain aspects of South Africa’s nationwide Local Agenda 21 Awareness Campaign.
The University of Cape Town enjoys the reputation of being one of the continent's outstanding institutions of higher learning.
The Environmental Evaluation Unit is also internationally recognized as being a leader in sustainable development and environmental management training. It has been a valuable resource for the entire region, training many environmental practitioners, not only from South Africa but from other southern African nations. We are pleased to be in partnership with the University of Cape Town and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in these two important efforts.
This initiative represents USAID's ongoing commitment to work with our partners in promoting and implementing sustainable development and environmental management and is one of our largest efforts in sub-Saharan Africa.
We are confident that these effort will lead to the incorporation of sustainable development policies and practices that will improve the quality of life for all South Africans, present and future.
In a world where pollution and loss of biodiversity in one country affects the air, water, climate and health of people oceans away, we all have a stake in how our neighbors -- near and far – care for the earth we share.
The rich diversity of your lovely land, however, makes South Africa’s environmental stewardship even more crucial. You are the keepers of a unique and wonderful portion of the irreplaceable natural heritage of all the world’s people.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.

Last Updated on: July 12, 2001