By Xia Kunbao,ACEF Director and Adviser

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), convened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 20-22 June 2012. Representatives from 191 UN member states and observers, including 79 Heads of State or Government, addressed the general debate, and approximately 50,000 people from governments, UN agencies and other international organizations, civil society organizations, business sector, youth and women organizations, and media participated in official meetings, a Rio+20 Partnerships Forum, Sustainable Development Dialogues, SD-Learning and an estimated 500 side events in RioCentro, the venue for the Conference itself. Taking place in parallel to the official events, approximately 3,000 unofficial events were organized throughout Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In closing the Conference, UNCSD President Dilma Rousseff (Brazil) stressed that Rio+20 was the most participatory conference in history and was a “global expression of democracy”.

Participants at Rio+20 were encouraged to make voluntary commitments for actions to implement the conference’s goals, and almost 700 had been received by the close of the Conference, with financial commitments from governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups reaching US$513 billion, including those  from emerging countries such as China and Brazil.

UNCSD focused on two themes: institutional framework for sustainable development and green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

The UNCSD adopted the outcome document titled “The Future We Want” which, inter alia, decides:

-  to reaffirm all the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, including, inter alia, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and reaffirm commitment to fully implement the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Agenda 21, the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
 

-  to establish a universal intergovernmental high-level political forum, building on the strengths, experiences, resources and inclusive participation modalities of the Commission on Sustainable Development, and subsequently replacing the Commission. The high-level political forum shall follow up on the implementation of sustainable development and should avoid overlap with existing structures, bodies and entities in a cost-effective manner. The high-level forum could provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development, and enhance integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a holistic and cross-sectoral manner at all levels. To launch an intergovernmental and open, transparent and inclusive negotiation process under the General Assembly to define the format and organizational aspects of the high-level forum with the aim of convening the first high-level forum at the beginning of the sixty-eighth session of the Assembly. 

-  to strengthen the role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The measures to be taken include: establishing universal membership in the Governing Council of UNEP; and havving secure, stable, adequate and increased financial resources from the regular budget of the United Nations and voluntary contributions to fulfill its mandate. 
 

-  to agree that green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as one of the important tools available for achieving sustainable development. 

-  to establish an inclusive and transparent intergovernmental process on sustainable development goals that is open to all stakeholders, with a view to developing global sustainable development goals to be agreed by the General Assembly. An open working group shall be constituted no later than at the opening of the sixty-seventh session of the Assembly.