Brasília – Two days short of the opening of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, aka Rio+20, due from June 13 to 22, the world turns its attention to Rio de Janeiro. If it is up to Brazil, then the meeting will become an international landmark in environmental defence with sustainable development and social inclusion. To the Brazilians, it is crucial to concentrate the discussions on poverty eradication as key element of sustainability.
So far, 115 heads of state and government have confirmed their attendance. The debate will focus on the green economy in the context of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.
A highlight of the discussions will be the implementation of income transfer-based social programmes in Brazil. The Brazilian authorities intend for measures to be outlined at Rio+20 that will lead to progress in fighting poverty and hunger, and to strengthening multilateralism in the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations.
Specialists believe the conference will confirm that joint efforts will only prove fruitful if activities and programmes are specifically tailored to the different realities of developing and developed countries.
Regarding the institutional framework for sustainable development, discussions will focus on the economic, social and environmental areas. Over the last few years, political leaders have considered implementing programmes combining economic development, social welfare, and environmental protection.
Proposals include a reform of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) whose goal is to enact the targets set 20 years ago, at the Rio92 summit. Reforms have also been advised in international environmental institutions, as several political leaders argue that the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) needs strengthening.
The goal is to increase the amount of funds available for the Unep to carry out projects in developing countries. The Unep structural reform must strike a balance between social, economic and environmental issues. Politicians, specialists, non-government organization representatives, and members of Indian communities, former runaway slave communities (quilombos), and riverside communities will be in attendance.
The Rio+20 debates will take place in different places around Rio de Janeiro. Politicians will concentrate at Riocentro, in the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood, and scholars, researchers and civil society members will be at Parque do Flamengo, Museu de Arte Moderna, Forte de Copacabana and Parque dos Atletas.
Schedule
Rio+20 will be comprised of three different phases and some of them will run parallel to the main conference. In the first few days, from June 13 to 15, Rio will host the 3rd Preparatory Committee Meeting, which will see technicians from all participating countries pen the drafts of the documents that will be reviewed by heads of state and government.
From June 16 to 19, civil society representatives, including non-government organizations and universities, will engage in 18 discussions panels. The goal is to seek alternative social policies linked to green economy and sustainable development. The proposals presented during these debates will be forwarded to the summit meeting.
The third phase, from June 20 to 22, will consist of meetings of heads of state and government and UN officials. The authorities will scrutinize the documents drafted throughout the conference and define a text for the final statement.
Over 50,000 people are expected to participate. Approximately 1,400 youths selected by the Rio+20 organizers will volunteer to receive participants at airports, hotels and conference venues.
The global discussions are coordinated by the UN undersecretary general for Economic and Social Affairs and Rio+20 secretary general, the Chinese ambassador Sha Zukang, and by the event’s executive coordinators Elizabeth Thompson (former minister of Energy and Environment of Barbados) and Brice Lalonde (former French Environment minister).
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
