United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
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| United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) | |
|---|---|
| Name | United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) |
| Caption | Rio+20 official logo |
| Date | 20–22 June 2012 |
| Location | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| Convened by | United Nations General Assembly |
| Participants | Heads of State and Government, representatives of European Union, African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, G77, civil society, private sector |
| Outcome | "The Future We Want" outcome document; launch of the Sustainable Development Goals |
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (commonly Rio+20) convened in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 as a high‑level summit marking 20 years after the Earth Summit (1992) and 40 years after the Stockholm Conference. World leaders, ministers and multi‑stakeholder delegations gathered to assess progress since the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and to advance a global agenda for sustainable development involving agencies such as the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
Background and Context
Rio+20 followed a lineage of multilateral environmental diplomacy including the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972), the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), and numerous treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Key issues at Rio+20 intersected with debates from the Millennium Summit, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Agenda 21 programme, and the Kyoto Protocol negotiations. The conference responded to calls from regional organizations such as the Organization of American States and the African Union and to policy frameworks promoted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank.
Preparations and Participating Stakeholders
Preparatory processes involved the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development as well as intergovernmental negotiations among blocs including the G77, the European Union, and the Alliance of Small Island States. Stakeholders included national delegations from countries such as United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Russia; multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization; civil society organizations including Greenpeace International, World Wide Fund for Nature, Friends of the Earth International, and Civil Society Mechanism participants; indigenous networks represented by the International Indian Treaty Council; labor representatives like the International Trade Union Confederation; and private sector actors from BusinessEurope and multinational corporations engaged through United Nations Global Compact. Preparations featured meetings at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, regional conferences hosted by Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and inputs from scientific bodies including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.
Summit Proceedings and Outcomes
The conference agenda comprised thematic roundtables, High‑Level Plenary sessions, and side events organized by institutions such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, International Labour Organization, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Heads of State including leaders from United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, and representatives from the European Commission delivered statements alongside regional leaders from Nigeria, Kenya, Argentina, and Mexico. Outcomes included the adoption of "The Future We Want", endorsement of a process to develop Sustainable Development Goals under the aegis of the United Nations General Assembly, commitments by philanthropic actors like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and announcements of initiatives by the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund precursor discussions. The summit produced political declarations, voluntary commitments cataloged in a Rio+20 Registry, and launched partnerships involving entities such as World Business Council for Sustainable Development and UN Women.
The Future We Want (Outcome Document)
"The Future We Want" consolidated negotiated language on topics including the green economy, institutional frameworks for sustainable development, and the establishment of a process to create universal Sustainable Development Goals guided by United Nations General Assembly resolutions. The document referenced international instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. It called for strengthening the United Nations Environment Programme and suggested options debated by the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council. The outcome also affirmed commitments to global partnerships exemplified by Global Strategy for Plant Conservation initiatives and linked to policy dialogues in forums like the Basel Convention and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Implementation, Follow-up and Commitments
Follow-up mechanisms involved timeline decisions taken by the United Nations General Assembly and intersessional negotiations within the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, the High‑level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and the Commission on Sustainable Development successor arrangements. National implementation referenced domestic actions in countries including Brazil, China, India, United States, and European Union member states, and financing discussions involved institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank. Civil society monitoring included NGOs like Oxfam International and ActionAid, while corporate reporting engaged standard setters such as Global Reporting Initiative and investors organized through the Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group. The process informed the formulation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the formal adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.
Criticism and Controversies
Rio+20 attracted critiques from environmental NGOs including Friends of the Earth International and Greenpeace International for perceived dilution of commitments, debates over the meaning of "green economy", and concerns about the influence of corporate actors such as members of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Critics cited contested positions by national delegations including United States, China, and European Union negotiators and raised issues around the limited legal force of "The Future We Want". Controversies involved procedural disputes at the United Nations General Assembly level, the role of the United Nations Environment Programme vis‑à‑vis proposals for institutional upgrading, and disagreements over financing mechanisms tied to institutions like the Global Environment Facility. Commentators from academic institutions including Harvard University, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, and think tanks such as Brookings Institution and Chatham House debated the efficacy of voluntary commitments versus binding frameworks.