6 June 2012: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon compared the negotiation of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) outcome document to the adoption in 2000 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in terms of being a “blueprint” – a political commitment more than a treaty negotiation. He added that the length and difficulty of the negotiations is not unusual, as they often take “until the very last minute of the end of the conference.”

In a press conference on Rio+20 at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on 6 June 2012, two weeks before the Conference, he said the foundations are in place for agreement on the remainder of the draft, following the third round of informal-informal consultations. He indicated that he expects that negotiators to accomplish this before their leaders arrive in Rio, so the leaders then can resolve any outstanding issues. Ban added he was sure that Member States will “act for the interest of human beings and for humanity.”

Ban urged countries to ensure the following outcomes: agreement to define a path to an inclusive green economy; agreement to define sustainable development goals (SDGs) with clear and measurable targets and indicators; decisions on key elements of the institutional framework for sustainable development (IFSD); strong, action-oriented outcomes on cross-cutting areas; progress on implementation; more partnerships with civil society and the private sector; and new commitments and initiatives on critical challenges.

Finally, Ban urgesd the countries of the Group of 8 (G8) and of the Group of 20 (G20) to follow the lead of the UK in devoting 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA), despite economic downturn. [Briefing Transcript]