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 Photo: H.Gu / UNU-IAS | |
| Rio+20 ― the future we want In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), known as the Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro, bringing together international policymakers and experts to deliberate on the impacts of human activity on the environment, as well as on broader socio-economic challenges. The 1992 Earth Summit recognized that integrating environmental protection into local, national and international policies and plans was indispensible to confronting international human security issues, including underdevelopment and poverty. Twenty years later, government leaders, participants from the private sector, NGOs and other stakeholders are once again assembling in Brazil this year to reconfirm international commitment to sustainable development for environmental, economic and social well-being. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), or Rio+20, will be convened in Rio de Janeiro from 20 to 22 June 2012, with various related events and publications preceding the official discussions. The two main themes to be discussed at Rio+20 are the path to a green economy to achieve sustainable development while eradicating poverty, and the improvement in international co-ordination for sustainable development. UNU-IAS and Rio+20 As a think-tank specializing in sustainable development, UNU-IAS will be looking at the transition to a green economy with particular emphasis on poverty alleviation and job creation through sustainable green industries, and the institutional framework for sustainable development with a focus on governance issues. In addition to these two areas, UNU-IAS will also produce books, articles and policy documents related to the conference’s other relevant topics. The Institute’s main contribution to Rio+20 will be Green Economy and Good Governance for Sustainable Development: Opportunities, Promises and Concerns, a book covering the conference’s two core themes with input from various UNU-IAS programmes, as well as partners in other UN University institutes and programmes. UNU-IAS also plans to hold events and release other publications based on Rio+20 themes in which the Institute specializes. Read more about UNU-IAS’s input to UNCSD here . | |