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Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States
By
Istvan TEPLAN
Senior Adviser to the State Secretary for the Environment
Republic of Hungary
Second Preparatory Committee
of the
2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
("Rio + 20")
Opening session
United Nations
New York
7 March 2011
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UNCSD 2012 Prep Com 2
(New York, 7-8 March 2012)
Opening session
- Draft Statement by the European Union and its Member States -
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Mr Secretary-General of the Conference,
Dear colleagues,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member
States.
The EU and its Member States welcome the Secretary-General’s report on the
objectives and themes of the Conference that has just been formally
presented.
We also welcome the updated "Synthesis report on best practices and lessons
learned on the objective and themes of the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development". This report benefits from more answers received
from Member States since it was first presented at the January Intersessional
meeting. However, the more contributions we will have from Members, the
bigger the chances we will have to succeed in elaborating a common vision for
the Conference.
The EU and its Member States also welcome the contributions of the UN
system to a better understanding of the two themes of the Conference, and in
particular the "Report on benefits, risks and challenges related to the green
economy" and the UNEP report “Towards a green economy – pathways to
sustainable development and poverty eradication”. We hope that these
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reports will contribute to clarify what the Green Economy may bring to all
countries.
We would like also to express our appreciation to the Government of Brazil for
the information about its preparations to the Conference as host country.
The EU and its Member States wish to reaffirm their strong commitment to
actively participating in the further preparation of the UN 2012 Conference
with a view to continue an open and transparent dialogue on the objectives
and the themes of the Conference.
We are looking forward to UNCSD 2012 turning into a cornerstone for all
Member States and stakeholders, in the road to achieving sustainable
development and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The UNCSD 2012 constitutes a unique opportunity for the international
community to recommit itself to sustainable development and establish a
clear vision for green economy in the context of sustainable development and
poverty eradication, as well as for an enhanced and improved institutional
framework for sustainable development.
The EU and its Member States are hoping in fact that the UNCSD 2012
outcome will set the basis for orienting the global economy and markets
towards sustainable patterns that safeguard and maintain the natural
resources base of the planet while guaranteeing better quality of life and
sustainable growth for all. In this context, we consider crucial the enhanced
engagement of civil society and the private sector, therefore complementing
the efforts of the current UN system in the area of sustainable development.
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Furthermore, the EU and its Member States will actively promote the
definition of a better governance architecture for sustainable development,
capable of sustaining and guiding the collective effort towards eradicating
poverty, attaining the MDGs and promoting sustainable development
patterns.
We would like to underline the importance of the involvement of all relevant
UN bodies in the preparations towards Rio+20, allowing for an inclusive,
transparent and integrated preparatory process. In this regard, we would like
to recall the results of the Ministerial consultations held during the recent 26th
session of the UNEP Governing Council under the theme of “Contribution of
UNEP to the preparatory process of the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development (UNCSD)” .
UNCSD 2012 will provide a unique platform for exchanging knowledge about
promising strategies, best practices and lessons learned as well as for
identifying common approaches and suitable mechanisms for environmentally
friendly policies and for channelling international resources equitably and
efficiently.
The EU and its Member States firmly believe that the next two days are
crucial to lay the ground for open and frank discussions in order to have a
forward-looking, ambitious and action-oriented outcome adopted at the
Conference.
We have now an excellent opportunity to listen to different views on the
substantive themes of the Conference and expected outcomes, share ideas,
discuss openly in a constructive manner and agree on the necessary steps
that will move the preparatory process forward.
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In this regard, I would like to recall and underline what the EU and its
Member States wish to see as outcome of UNCSD 2012:
1. On Green economy, a global commitment accompanied by a roadmap
defining concrete steps at the international and national level, as well as
a best practice guide of actions, instruments, indicators, case studies
and policies;
2. On Institutional framework for sustainable development, the
transformation of UNEP into a UN specialized agency for the
environment, as part of a strengthened and renewed sustainable
development governance.
Let us take actions for the future. Whilst it is always important to learn from
our past experiences, UNCSD 2012 needs to be forward looking. For this, it is
time for action, and not just for discussion. The EU and its Member States will
continue to be actively engaged in this process to contribute to the successful
outcome of the Conference and hence to the well-being of our planet.
Thank you.
