Protesters jeered US Secretary of State Colin Powell on the Earth Summit's final day yesterday, accusing Washington of blocking meaningful action in a blueprint to help the poor and save the planet.
Many governments gave a muted welcome to the summit plan meant to attack global problems from AIDS to depleted fish stocks, which was agreed in overnight talks by almost 200 states at the 10-day World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
Environmentalists branded it a waste of time and a sell-out to business interests favored by US President George W. Bush. Even UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said that people's expectations had been too high.
Hecklers chanting "Shame on Bush" twice interrupted Powell as he defended US policies from criticisms the world's richest country and biggest polluter does not really care.
"Thank you, I have now heard you. I ask that you hear me," Powell replied, breaking off from his prepared speech as South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, chairing the meeting, banged a gavel more than a dozen times in disapproval.
Powell was first jeered after talking about famine in southern Africa and singling out Zimbabwe for criticism. He was booed again when he said Washington was taking firm action to combat global warming.
"We have plans to end the despair and offer hope. Now is the time to put those plans into action to expand the circle of development to all God's children," Powell said.
Activists slammed the summit for setting few firm targets and for failing to raise aid. Some staged a walkout from the conference center in protest yesterday.
"The reaction to Colin Powell's speech is a very accurate reflection of the anger of non-governmental organizations for the role played by the United States at this conference," said Remi Parmentier, political director of Greenpeace.
New targets set yesterday include halving by 2015 the 2.4 billion people without sanitation in the Third World, minimizing harmful effects from chemicals production by 2020 and a pledge to halt the decline in fish stocks by 2015.
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