São Paulo – Next Saturday (16th), Brazil will assume the presidency of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, with the mission of solving the standstill in negotiations of the Preparatory Committee for the heads of state summit due from June 20th to 22nd in Rio de Janeiro. One of the topics preventing negotiations from moving forward is the actual implementation of sustainable projects. While presiding and hosting Rio+20, Brazil will probably present suggestions to solve the stalemate.
At a press conference this Thursday (15th) in the afternoon, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development director Nilchil Seth said it is up to Brazil to establish a working order so the negotiations are completed by next Tuesday (19th) and presented to the heads of state on Wednesday (20th). “Time is not on our side.” According to the UN, consensus rate regarding the final draft is at around 28%. The remainder remains undefined.
One of the main impasses is how development projects will be funded, as provided for in the zero draft, the document on which negotiations are based. Sustainable projects need funding in order to be implemented, but there is no consensus on where the money should come from.
G77+China, a group comprised of poor and emerging countries that includes Brazil, suggested for a US$ 30 billion fund to be established in 2013, which would then be upgraded to US$ 100 billion by 2018. The fund would mostly target sustainable projects in developing countries. However, rich nations refused to accept the proposal due to the economic crisis they are experiencing.
The impasse is linked to another topic in the zero draft, namely the “principles of common, but differentiated responsibilities.” This rule provides that all countries have a common responsibility: sustainable development. However, it sets forth that the responsibility and expenditures of the rich should be larger than those of emerging countries.
This principle was agreed upon at Eco92, a conference held 20 years ago in Rio de Janeiro, under the claim that the planet’s current degradation is a consequence of the development of wealthy countries. In order to meet the requirements for sustainable development, emerging countries will have to limit their use of natural resources, and this will impact on their development. The solution for the impasse will be left to the heads of state.
There are also obstacles to the negotiations for technology transfers to the developing world, and personnel training to execute sustainable projects, which are part of the implementation of sustainable development and involve negotiations on patents.
Another topic that should be solved only by the heads of state is the need to establish a worldwide Environment agency to regulate and arbitrate on debates concerning sustainable projects and their consequences, or else to strengthen the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) by providing it with more funds and power.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
