14 June 2012
Rio+20 Secretary-General Calls on Governments to Come “Ready to Commit”
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On the eve of the Third Meeting of the UNCSD Preparatory Committee (PrepCom III), Secretary-General Sha Zukang underscored the need for delegates to drastically accelerate the pace of negotiations, and called on governments to look at the big picture and focus on key deliverables.

He stressed the need for a Framework for Action that does more than "look good on paper."

Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, at the close of the session12 June 2012: In the latest post to his blog, Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), calls on governments attending the meeting to “come to Rio, ready to commit.” Sha’s call was made on the eve of the Third Meeting of the UNCSD Preparatory Committee (PrepCom III). He underscores the need for delegates to drastically accelerate the pace of negotiations, with only “three make-it or break-it” days remaining.

Sha urges governments to focus on the “big picture” and key deliverables, which he defined as: sustainable development goals (SDGs); forward-looking decisions on strengthening the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD); decisions on sharing experiences and knowledge of green economy policy options; and action-oriented outcomes in areas such as energy, water, food security, oceans, cities, women’s empowerment, education and others.

He also stresses the need to make further progress on the means of implementation, ensuring Rio+20 delivers a Framework for Action that does more than “look good on paper.” He underscores the need for strong engagement from all Major Groups, and expresses the hope that Rio+20 would see “hundreds of voluntary commitments and initiatives by all stakeholders,” to complement the official commitments. [Blog Post: Come to Rio, Ready to Commit]

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