Rio+20

The  Conference

will be held from 20 to 22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro

At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, will come together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution 64/236 (A/RES/64/236), and will take place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.

The Rio+20 Conference It is envisaged as a Conference at the highest possible level, including Heads of State and Government or other representatives. The Conference will result in a focused political document.

The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development..

The chair of an influential group of MPs lambasted David Cameron on Monday for not going to next week's Rio+20 Earth summit, saying it sent a signal to the world that Britain does not see sustainability as a priority and that the PM is not showing global leadership.

"The secretary general of the UN has labelled the Rio+20 conference as one of the most important conferences in the history of the United Nations. The dates were even changed so as not to clash with the Diamond Jubilee to enable Commonwealth countries to attend", said Joan Walley MP, chair of the environmental audit committee.

"In not attending, the prime minister is sending out a powerful signal that the UK government does not see sustainability as a priority", said Walley.

Deputy PM Nick Clegg and environment secretary Caroline Spelman will go to the three day high level meeting of the summit at which 130 world leaders have pledged to go. Many other leaders of G20 countries including Barack Obama and Angela Merkel will also not attend.

The summit, which will be the largest ever organised by the UN, expects countries to take long-term decisions on the directions their economies should take to tackle environment and financial crises. They are expected to sign up to a set of new environmental initiatives, as well as to commit to using fewer resources.