20 June 2011: The NGO, Farmers and Local Authorities Major Groups have recently announced new initiatives and publications in preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20).

The NGO Major Group has created an interactive website where NGO community members can share news, start discussions, upload videos or post events related to UNCSD. The Group also has created a wikispace to prepare statements and joint documents for the Conference.

The Farmers Major Group has issued a notice to solicit submissions on the green economy, institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD) governance, and emerging issues and objectives of the Conference.

Local Authorities published a Briefing Sheet explaining the role of subnational governments in the green economy, and announced a forthcoming study titled “Local Sustainability 2012.” The study will aim to pave the ground for a local government contribution to Rio+20 by: documenting the variety of local processes for sustainability that have emerged around the world, analyzing the impacts of such local processes, and suggesting new ways forward for local governments to make their cities more resource-efficient.

The Group also announced a paper on the role of local governments, authored by Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, which was published as part of the “Sustainable Development Insights” policy essays series edited by the Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. The essay suggests that local governments do not appear in the current environmental governance regime, and notes that their representation at UN bodies is defined as “non-governmental.” [NGO Major Group Website] [NGO Major Group Wikispace] [Farmers Notice] [Local Sustainability 2012 News] [Publication: Global Environmental Governance: The Role of Local Governments]