1 March 2012: The latest issue of “DESA News,” the newsletter from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, features an interview with Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20), in which he shares his vision and hopes for the conference and the remaining work leading up to it.

In the interview, Sha stresses that Rio+20 needs to secure strong political commitment at the highest levels of government and among all sectors of business and civil society, and re-energize the global partnership for sustainable development. He notes that the zero draft of the Rio+20 outcome document is a balanced text that seeks to take account of the diversity of views expressed, and highlights that it represents the middle ground on which an ambitious outcome document can be built. He further reiterates that Rio+20 is a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity, characterized by a sharp focus on renewing political commitments and implementation, as well as by the unprecedented engagement of Major Groups.

The newsletter also includes an article on the first round of “informal-informal” negotiations on the zero draft, to be held from 19-23 March 2012, followed by the third Intersessional Meeting from 26-27 March; and a report of the Forest Heroes Award special ceremony hosted by the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat on 9 February 2012.

It also highlights, among others, development-related issues, including: articles on the upcoming annual meeting of the Committee for Development Policy, to be held from 12-16 March 2012, and a special event on the Economic and Social Council and global governance, to be held on 7 March 2012, in New York; the launch of the “World Youth Report,” published by UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, and focusing on youth employment; and a report of the 50th session of the Commission for Social Development, held from 1-10 February 2012, in New York. [Publication: DESA News, Vol. 16, No. 3]