Rio+20
The Role of Major Groups
and Stakeholders
by
Alexander Juras
Chief, Major Groups and Stakeholders Branch
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Regional Consultation Meeting Europe
Geneva
27 October 2010
“We know what we need to do. We
know what works. The time for
delay is over. The time for delivery
is now.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in view of the
Rio+20 Conference, May 2010
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 1
Content
• From 1992 to 2012
• Rio+20: An Important Turning
Point?
• UNEP’s role
• The Role of Civil Society
• Areas for Cooperation
• Useful Links
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 2
From 1992 to 2012
• 1992: UN Conference on Environment and Development – Earth
Summit, in Rio de Janeiro
– Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
– Agenda 21
– Convention on Biological Diversity
– Forest Principles
– Framework Convention on Climate Change
• 2002: World Summit on Sustainable Development –
Johannesburg (Rio+10)
– Johannesburg Declaration
• 2012, May 14-16, UN Conference on Sustainable Development –
Rio de Janeiro (Rio+20)
– UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/236 - 24 December
2009: to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD) in 2012 - also referred to as 'Rio+20' or 'Rio
20'
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 3
The Rio+20 Conference
Three objectives: Two themes:
• securing renewed political • green economy within the
commitment to context of sustainable
sustainable development development and poverty
eradication
• assessing the progress • institutional framework
and implementation gaps for sustainable
in meeting already agreed development
commitments
• addressing new and
emerging challenges
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 4
Rio+20: An Important Turning
Point?
Less progress than expected since 1992
Environmental challenges have increased and Environment has further
deteriorated
Millennium Development Goals will most likely not be met
Sustainable Development has not been achieved but there is a wide
consensus that there is a need for action now.
Many Governments have realized that sustainable development can only be
achieved based on partnerships between governments, UN and other
international organizations and Major Groups and Stakeholders.
The Earth Summit offers the opportunity to develop a
collective vision for sustainable development, to foster
cooperation around how this can be globally governed and
pave the way for the transformation of our economies and
societies to support the environment in which we live.
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 5
UNEP’s Role
• Focus on:
– Green Economy
– International Environmental Governance (contributing to
International Governance for Sustainable Development)
– Emerging issues
• International Waters?
• Access to Information, Public Participation, Access to Justice?
• Contributing to the process by:
– Keeping the Environment high on the agenda
– Presenting the outcomes of the Geo 5 Assessment, thus
delivering sound information base for decision making
– Close cooperation with UN DESA and other UN Agencies
– Assisting Major Group and Stakeholder involvement
– Provision of information and guidance
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 6
The Role of Civil Society
• Civil Society / Major Groups and Stakeholders support to the conference
objectives key to the success of the conference
• Major Groups and Stakeholders opportunities to contribute and
participate in the preparatory process:
– Prepcoms
– Regional Consultations organized by UN DESA
– Consultations organized by UNEP and other UN Agencies
– UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministers of Environment Forum and the Global
Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, February 2011
– Written input into the process
– Lobbying with national and regional governments
– Other national actions – role for National Committees (partnering with MGS)?
– Raising Awareness among the general public
– Presenting best practices and success stories
– Getting into partnerships with Governments and UN institutions as well as among
major groups
– Participating in ongoing initiatives or development of new initiatives:
– Participate in the event itself
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 7
Areas for Cooperation with UNEP
• Providing Policy input into the ongoing IEG and Green
Economy discussions:
– International Consultations IEG, GE, October 2010, Geneva
– Regional Consultation Meetings - Oct-Dec 2010
– Governing Council
– IEG Advisory Group
– UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum
2011 and 2012
– Topical Consultations in 2010
– Giving input through Regional Offices and the Major Groups and
Stakeholders Branch
– Using UNEP to channel information to other Major Groups and
Stakeholders
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 8
Possible Activities in the Region
• Join one of the existing Major Groups and Stakeholder
Initiatives for Rio+20 and become an active contributor
• Get organized on the regional and sub-regional level
and provide input into the process
• Partner up with UNEP to achieve common objectives
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 9
Important Links
• UNEP, Major Group and Stakeholder Branch
http://www.unep.org/civil-society/Default.aspx
• UNEP, Regional Office for Asia Pacific
http://www.roap.unep.org/program/civil_reg_meeting10.cfm
• UN DESA
http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/rio20/
• Stakeholder Forum
http://www.earthsummit2012.org/
• Brazilian NGO Forum
http://www.fboms.org.br/capa.asp?idioma=eng
Major Groups & Stakeholders Branch 10
Thank you
for your attention
Meet us online at
www.unep.org/civil_society
Contact: civil.society@unep.org