Mountains in the ?Zero Draft of the outcome document of Rio+20? - Blog Entry

I have been closely observing preparations of one of the most awaited conference of this decade, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) also known as Rio 2012 or Rio+20 or Earth Summit 2012, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, as a 20-year follow-up to the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that was held in the same city. Organised by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), this conference is talk of the town ever since decision to hold the conference was made by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/236 on 24 December 2009. There are many high hopes associated with Rio 2012 as it is expected to redefine sustainable development options and strategies based on review of what has been achieved over last two decades, critical analysis of the new challenges evolved since then (including climate change, biodiversity crisis, social exclusion and disparity etc.) and consider also alternatives for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that expire in 2015. In short, Rio 2012 is seen as a big thinking and a re-shaping of current processes.