On the road to Rio+20

In 1992 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, hosted the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Also known as the Earth Summit, government officials from 178 countries and between 20,000 and 30,000 individuals from all walks of life attended the conference. Twenty years on and with the world facing a mounting crisis, Rio will once again be at the forefront of the world’s attention in 2012 when it hosts the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also referred to as Rio+20.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in Brazil on 4-6 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The objective of the Conference is - securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assessing progress and implementation gaps in summit outcomes on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges.

The Conference will focus on two themes:
(a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication;
(b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.

If you want to stay connected with Rio+20 there is a biweekly newsletter you can sign up for, and of course a Twitter channel and facebook page for you to follow.