Rio+20

Rio+20. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Earth Summit 2012, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20-22, 2012, and was attended by Ban Ki-moon, Dilma Rousseff, and Sha Zukang. The conference was a follow-up to the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which resulted in the adoption of Agenda 21, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Rio+20 conference was also preceded by the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, which was attended by Kofi Annan, Thabo Mbeki, and Wangari Maathai.

Introduction

The Rio+20 conference was a major event in the United Nations calendar, with the participation of over 190 countries, including China, United States, India, and European Union member states. The conference was organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The conference aimed to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, with a focus on the green economy and poverty eradication, as outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Monterrey Consensus. The conference was also attended by Nobel laureates such as Al Gore, Muhammad Yunus, and Wangari Maathai, as well as representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Oxfam.

Background

The Rio+20 conference was held against the backdrop of the global financial crisis, which had highlighted the need for a more sustainable and equitable development model, as advocated by Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, and Jeffrey Sachs. The conference built on the outcomes of previous United Nations conferences, including the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972), the World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002), and the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (2009), which was attended by Barack Obama, Hu Jintao, and Manmohan Singh. The conference also drew on the expertise of international organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Rio+20 conference was an opportunity for countries to reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development, as embodied in the Stockholm Declaration, the World Charter for Nature, and the Earth Charter, which was supported by Mikhail Gorbachev, Jane Goodall, and Desmond Tutu.

Objectives_and_Outcomes

The main objectives of the Rio+20 conference were to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, to assess progress towards the implementation of Agenda 21, and to address new and emerging challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty, as highlighted by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and Millennium Ecosystem Assessment findings. The conference resulted in the adoption of the The Future We Want outcome document, which outlined a framework for sustainable development and called for the establishment of a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after 2015, as proposed by Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru. The conference also launched a number of initiatives, including the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative, which was supported by United Nations Foundation, World Bank, and European Commission, and the Green Economy Coalition, which was backed by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), and The Nature Conservancy.

Participation_and_Representation

The Rio+20 conference was attended by a large number of countries, including Brazil, China, United States, and India, as well as by representatives from international organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The conference also included participation from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Oxfam, as well as from the private sector, including companies like Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Toyota, which were represented by Paul Polman, Muhtar Kent, and Akio Toyoda. The conference provided an opportunity for countries to engage in dialogue and to share experiences and best practices in sustainable development, as facilitated by United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Major_Issues_and_Themes

The Rio+20 conference addressed a number of major issues and themes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty, as well as the green economy and sustainable consumption and production patterns, as highlighted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports and World Resources Institute (WRI) studies. The conference also discussed the importance of international cooperation and global governance for sustainable development, as emphasized by G20, G8, and European Union (EU) leaders, including Angela Merkel, David Cameron, and François Hollande. The conference recognized the need for a more integrated and holistic approach to sustainable development, which takes into account the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of development, as advocated by Amartya Sen, Joseph Stiglitz, and Jeffrey Sachs.

Legacy_and_Follow-up

The Rio+20 conference has had a significant legacy and follow-up, with the establishment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which was launched by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and is supported by United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The conference also led to the establishment of a number of initiatives and partnerships, including the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative and the Green Economy Coalition, which are backed by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), World Bank, and European Commission. The Rio+20 conference has also contributed to the development of a more integrated and holistic approach to sustainable development, which recognizes the importance of international cooperation and global governance for achieving a more sustainable and equitable development model, as emphasized by Pope Francis, Ban Ki-moon, and Jim Yong Kim. Category:United Nations conferences