Environmental issues and sustainable development

Member States concluded the latest round of negotiations on a “ Rio+20” outcome document with proposals that would expand the length and scope of the issues under consideration as they moved towards defining a global action agenda for a sustainable future.

Negotiations on the outcome document for “Rio+20” resume today, with countries advancing many new proposals that will shape the direction of how the world will move the sustainable development agenda forward. Countries have submitted additional comments since the initial round of negotiations for the Rio+20 outcome document began in January.

The 100-day countdown to this June’s “Rio+20” Conference started today with calls for a sharp increase in the level of ambition by Governments, businesses and civil society to reach an outcome in Rio that will effectively accelerate the move towards more sustainable solutions to many of the world’s most pressing problems.

People who have made special contributions towards protecting forests and forest communities will receive the Forest Heroes Award at a special ceremony hosted by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) Secretariat to mark the conclusion of the International Year of Forests, on 9 February at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Sha Zukang, today welcomed the publication of the first draft of recommendations titled, “The Future We Want”, that will form the basis for negotiations by countries in the lead-up to the Rio+20 meeting in Brazil in June this year.

The Preparatory Committee for the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development today elected three members of its Bureau. Elected by acclamation were Kim Sook (Republic of Korea) from the Group of Asian States as Co‑Chair; and Bedrich Moldan (Czech Republic) from the Group of Eastern European States and Keith Christie (Canada) from the Group of Western European and Other States as Vice-Chairs.

After months of collecting inputs and suggestions from countries, regional groups, civil society organizations and international organizations, United Nations Member States will meet 15‑16 December to discuss the structure and format of the outcome document that will be finalized by world leaders at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development — Rio+20 — to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.

The United Nations launched a new campaign today to promote next June’s “Rio+20” United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and the need to engage people in a global conversation on the kind of communities in which they would like to live 25 years from now.

As the United Nations and the world are gearing up for Rio+20 — a major global conference that aims to accelerate efforts to promote sustainable development — the United Nations opened a new facility today in Incheon, Republic of Korea, that aims to assist developing countries. The new centre was formally launched at a ceremony in Seoul.

The United Nations Postal Administration issued today a series of eight stamps to commemorate the International Year of Forests, illustrating the important role trees and forests play in people’s lives.