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CNN Live At Daybreak

Some Progress Being Made At Poverty Conference

Aired March 21, 2002 - 05:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Turning south of the border now, to Mexico, where a United Nations conference on alleviating world poverty is underway, our Harris Whitbeck reports on the protests and the progress.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you expect many heads of state come to your city, expect to see these people too. But this anti-globalization demonstration was less violent than conference organizers feared. And several blocks away, children asked that their rights be respected.

The muted tenor of the protest reflects the general good mood here, as inside the conference hall the continuous talk on how to combat poverty is getting results. Two days before more than 50 nations send their heads of state here to sign a document reaffirming the international community's commitment to spending more money to eradicate poverty, the United States said it would contribute $15 billion between 2004 and 2006 to international development funds. And the European Union said it, too, would increase its contributions.

PHIL BLOOMER, OXFAM: This is a substantial increase by the United States, and it's got to be welcomed. The new money must now be spent early and spent on the right things, which is on health and education. It's about getting kids into school...

WHITBECK: Still, there are those who say more money is needed, and the way money is spent should be re-addressed. One of the critics of current U.S. spending is a man who once controlled that purse.

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We still are concentrating too much in our foreign aid program on fairly wealthy countries. For instance, we give to Israel $10 million every day, $3 billion a year. And most of that money, as you know, goes to buy weapons.

WHITBECK: Still, U.N. officials are optimistic, particularly because big business has promised to get involved.

THORAYA OBAID, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U.N. POPULATION FUND: I think they realize that economics alone cannot do it, and there has to be a link between the economics and the social aspects of people's lives.

WHITBECK: With a lot of money being promised, the question is how effectively it will be spent.

(on camera): That is why the United States has proposed, and several countries have supported, the idea that countries that received aid would have to prove that the money will be well spent. Critics say that would punish the citizens of those countries for the sins of their leaders, but the proponents say it would be a way of combating corruption while combating poverty.

Harris Whitbeck, CNN, Monterrey, Mexico.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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