The Elders: The success or failure of Rio+20 will be a defining moment for today’s youth

As world leaders gather in Brazil for the Rio+20 summit, The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights, join four 'Youngers' to call on governments to deliver concrete outcomes to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

They called on world leaders today to deliver concrete outcomes at Rio+20, stressing that the future of the world’s 3.5 billion young people should be at the forefront of their concerns.

Three members of The Elders, Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil, and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, were joined in Rio by four young activists: Pedro Telles from Brazil, Marvin Nala from China, Esther Agbarakwe from Nigeria and Sara Svensson from Sweden. For the past eight weeks they have been participating in Elders+Youngers, an open dialogue on the planet’s economic, social and environmental future.

Both the Elders and the ‘Youngers’ emphasised that the potential success – or failure – of Rio+20 will be a defining moment for today’s youth, and will also determine the aspirations and prospects of future generations.

The Elders called on world leaders to step up their efforts to achieve concrete outcomes at Rio+20 and ensure the full implementation of past agreements with no backsliding. They emphasised the importance of protecting the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility”, as articulated in Rio in 1992.

Source: The Elders