9 September 2011: The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Regional Preparatory Meeting for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or Rio+20) assessed progress since the 1992 Earth Summit, discussed the proposed themes for Rio+20 and adopted a set of conclusions that will be submitted to the Rio+20 Preparatory Committee as inputs for the draft negotiating document for UNCSD.

The event convened from 7-9 September 2011, in Santiago, Chile. During the discussion on assessing progress, Colombia and Guatemala proposed defining a series of “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) that would provide benchmarks and references for sustainable development based on indicators adjusted to national realities and priorities. This proposal was forwarded for further consideration.

Discussion on the Rio+20 theme of a green economy did not yield consensus, and as a result did not feature in the meeting conclusions. Consensus also was not achieved on the other Rio+20 theme of the global institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD). Cuba proposed strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and eliminating the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The Meeting agreed to pass the Cuban proposal on to Rio+20 for consideration while the Latin America and Caribbean countries affirmed their commitment to achieve a global IFSD “which is efficient and flexible and ensures the effective integration of its three pillars (social, economic and environmental).”

The Meeting conclusions called for, inter alia: new, additional, stable and predictable financing for supporting implementation activities in developing countries; fulfillment of mitigation and adaptation commitments in relation to climate change and building resilience to its impacts; access to and transfer of safe and appropriate technology, without conditionalities and on preferential terms for developing countries; changes in patterns of production and consumption, in which developed countries should play a lead role; and full implementation of the right to access to environmental information, participation and justice. [Meeting’s Formal Conclusions] [ECLAC Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage]