Australia

Australia’s Intervention delivered in the 2nd Rio+20
Intersessional meeting on 16 December 2011
Thank you Mr Co-Chair,
In terms of format and structure Australia would like the outcomes
document to reflect a set of clear, practical outcomes, including actions
and responsibilities. In order to achieve this, the zero draft should reflect
those areas of common ground, shared between Member States. We
support a short and focused document which includes a high-level
political declaration and builds on past summit outcomes.
As I tried to say yesterday, we must not repeat the previous outcomes
and agreed actions of past summits, but look to the future and identify
those gaps and new and emerging issues. Those critical areas which
were not on the horizon 20 years ago or were out of sight and out of
mind like oceans, including the high seas.
The zero draft should not be prescriptive but should highlight those
areas where general consensus is emerging.
Mr Chair, Australia has detailed an approach to a template, but in the
interest of time I will not describe it here, but will send it to the
Secretariat for your consideration. Please be assured that this is not an
Australian proposal per se, but is just food for thought.
Australia supports a short, focussed document that is understandable,
actionable and must be realistic and practical. One that takes a holistic
approach, a system-wide approach, and one which reflects an
ecosystem based approach.
Mr Chair, Australia reiterates the importance of having a zero draft that
reflects the growing areas of consensus and one that will resonate with
the expressed interests of civil society.
Our political declaration must be ambitious and capable of galvanising
political commitment as we did 20 years ago in Rio. Australia is
committed to working closely in the coming months as we set the stage
for a common sustainable future.
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Thank you Mr Co-Chair.
TEMPLATE PROPOSAL FOR RIO+20 OUTCOMES DOCUMENT
For consideration at the Second Intersessional meeting in December 2011, Australia
would like to propose the below template for the Rio+20 Outcomes document.
This document does not represent a formal proposal by Australia, rather we suggest
it as a tool to help catalyse discussion to find a practical way forward to clearly
structure the outcomes of Rio+20. Australia welcomes any amendments or
suggestions to the proposed template (please see contact details below) to ensure a
format is agreed which addresses the needs and interests of all Member States.
Guiding principles for template:
1. This template is based on ‘Option 1 model – A Political Declaration
accompanied by a separate action plan’ drafted by the Secretariat and the
Bureau’.
2. This template seeks to achieve an outcomes document which reflects a set of
clear, focused and practical outcomes, including actions and responsibilities
that will address the key challenges of sustainable development.
3. This template is procedural in nature, seeking to capture a format and
structure whilst avoiding a pre-judgment of the key priorities and issues to be
addressed through the outcomes document.
4. This template seeks to avoid duplicating commitments made and captured in
Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.
5. Although there is no ‘new and emerging challenges’ section, new and
emerging challenges will be captured throughout the document, particularly
under the ‘sectoral priorities’ and the ‘cross-cutting issues’ sections of the
document.
6. By agreeing to specific actions on a range of priorities (whether these are
sectoral, cross-sectoral or new and emerging), progress to date and gaps in
implementation will be consequently addressed.
If you would like to discuss this further or have any suggestions please contact:
Ms Bronwen Burfitt
Rio+20 Taskforce
Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities
p: [phone]
e: [e-mail]
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United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development
Rio de Janeiro 2012
The Global Plan for Sustainable Development
The Future We Want
Foreword* (maximum 1 page)
The foreword, jointly written by Mr Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General and Mr Sha Zukang,
Secretary General United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, should provide
a short and focused contextual description of the importance and need for sustainable
development.
Introduction* (maximum 1 page)
The introduction should introduce the outcomes document and briefly explain its mandate
and purpose and further build on the context.
*Note – the foreword and the introduction is the ‘preamble’.
I Political declaration (maximum 1 page)
1. The political declaration should be concise and focused. It should meet the
Conference objective of securing renewed political commitment for sustainable
development and address through a high level statement the other two elements of
the objective: assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the
implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development,
and addressing new and emerging challenges. It should also include a high-level
statement on the headline outcomes agreed under the two themes of Rio+20: a
‘green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication’
and the ‘institutional framework for sustainable development’.
II Framework of Action
A. Green Economy in the Context of Sustainable
Development and Poverty Eradication
2. This section should briefly introduce the concept of a ‘green economy in the context
of sustainable development and poverty eradication’ and briefly introduce the
sectoral and cross-cutting priorities.
Sectoral Priorities (length as necessary)
3. This section should list the sectoral priorities agreed to be included as Outcomes of
the conference and provide detail as instructed below for each priority. The example
of a sectoral priority is provided for illustrative purposes and should not prejudge
decisions made by Member States on the sectoral priorities agreed to be included as
Outcomes of the conference.
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Sectoral priority e.g ‘Blue Economy’
4. Introduction (maximum 1 paragraph) – briefly introduce the sectoral priority
5. High-level actions (length as necessary but should be guided by a focussed
approach and recommended guideline of 10 or less agreed high-level actions per
sectoral priority) - List the agreed high-level actions, each action should be listed on a
new line e.g:
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
6. High-level means of implementation (length as necessary but should be guided by a
focussed approach and recommended guideline of 10 or less agreed high-level
means of implementation per sectoral priority) – state the high-level means of
implementation as agreed. These should be addressed at the global level (each
member state/region should produce and agree as necessary national and regional
means of implementation in parallel to these or through a process as agreed
following Rio+20).
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
Cross-sectoral priorities (length as necessary)
7. This section should list the cross-cutting priorities agreed to be included as
Outcomes of the conference and provide detail as instructed below for each issue.
The example of a cross-sectoral priority is provided for illustrative purposes and
should not prejudge decisions made by Member States on the cross-sectoral
priorities agreed to be included as Outcomes of the conference.
Cross-sectoral priority e.g ‘Empowering Women’
8. Introduction (maximum 1 paragraph) – briefly introduce the cross-cutting priority
9. High-level actions (length as necessary but should be guided by a focussed
approach and recommended guideline of 10 or less agreed high-level actions per
cross-sectoral priority) - List the agreed high-level actions, each action should be
listed on a new line e.g:
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
10. High-level means of implementation (length as necessary but should be guided by a
focussed approach and recommended guideline of 10 or less agreed high-level
means of implementation per cross-sectoral priority) – state the high-level means of
implementation as agreed. These should be addressed at the global level (each
member state/region should produce and agree as necessary national and regional
means of implementation in parallel to these or through a process as agreed
following Rio+20).
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
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B. Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development
(IFSD)
11. Introduction (maximum 1-2 paragraph/s) – briefly introduce the IFSD
12. High-level actions (length as necessary) – List the agreed high-level actions, each
high-level action should be listed on a new line e.g.:
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
13. High-level means of implementation (length as necessary) – state the high-level
means of implementation as agreed. These should be addressed at the global level
(each member state/region should produce and agree as necessary national and
regional means of implementation in parallel to these or through a process as agreed
following Rio+20). NB: Means of implementation may not be required for the IFSD,
considering that reforms to the IFSD will constitute an integral aspect of the means of
implementation to provide the appropriate framework for the outcomes under the
‘green economy’ theme of the conference.
a) X
b) Y
c) Z
d) Etc...
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