September 2012: Friedrich-Ebert-Stif­tung (FES) has published the speeches made during its side event at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in June 2012. According to the publication, titled “Sustainable Development in an Unequal World: How Do We Really Get The Future We Want?” the speeches highlight the need for both social justice and serious and urgent progress toward environmental, social and economic justice.

The high-level event, titled “Sustainable Development in an Unequal World,” was organized by Club de Madrid along with FES, with co-sponsorship from the Interna­tional Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the Republic of Costa Rica.

The publication includes speeches delivered at the event by: Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, former President of Chile and Member of the Club de Madrid; Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, Member of the UN Secre­tary General’s High-level Panel on Global Sustainability (GSP) and Member of the Club de Madrid; Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary; Jose Enrique Castillo Barrantes, Minister of For­eign Affairs of Costa Rica; Ángel Gurría, Secretary Gen­eral of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF); and Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Member of the Club de Madrid.

The report notes that the key message from the speeches is the need for rapid action by national governments and coordinated multilateral cooperation in order to achieve strong, sustained and inclusive recovery. This is in recognition of the fact that market forces and private investments alone will not generate sufficient investments to ensure increased employment, renewable energy promotion and sustainable food production.

The event also included the launch of the “Global Shared Societies Agenda,” which aims to offer policy options for the creation of a more effective, efficient and sustainable economic system, through opportunities for greater equality, inclusion and sharing. This agenda is contained in an annex to the report. [Publication: Sustainable Development in an Unequal World: How Do We Really Get The Future We Want?]