Meeting for a global agenda
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.From Mr Gordon Conway Sir: You reported that the American President will not attend the UN Social Summit in Copenhagen in March, and our Prime Minister has yet to decide ("Gales of waffle threaten UN's poverty summit", 30 January).
As we all recognise, we are moving towards a new world that is multi-polar and increasingly interdependent. To meet these challenges, a global agenda for change is taking shape. Elements include Agenda 21 stemming from the 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development, the new World Trade Organisation emerging from the signing of Gatt, and proposals on population from the 1994 Cairo Conference. To come this year are the Beijing Conference on Women, the Lucerne ministerial meeting on sustainable agriculture and food security and the Social Summit. Taken together, these meetings in 1995 present the international community with an opportunity to take practical steps to end poverty and human misery.
We may not agree with all that is said in such forums and have reservations about how policies are to be implemented. We may be irritated by the waffle and the organisational in-fighting, but we should be active, committed participants in the process. The UK is internationally recognised for the expertise, in policies and practical experience, that resides in our research and policy institutes, in our universities and in our non-government organisations. We should be playing a key role in shaping the world of the 21st century and not, as we have done in Europe, standing aside and then criticising when all is not to our liking.
Yours sincerely, Gordon Conway Vice Chancellor University of Sussex Falmer, Brighton 30 January
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments