Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ

News
Rio de Janeiro Copacabana (Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Photo Evan Schneider)

Counting down to Rio+20

As with the 1992 Earth Summit, Brazil once again set the ball rolling towards another historic Conference, Rio+20, with local and national launch ceremonies marking the one-year count-down. In New York, this special occasion was highlighted on 15 June with the screening of the animated movie Rio, attracting up to one thousand New Yorkers including children and their parents.

¡°Rio+20 is the occasion for reinvigorating the spirit of Rio and re-launching our world on the pathway to a sustainable future,¡± said Sha Zukang, DESA¡¯s Under-Secretary-General and the Rio+20 Secretary General. ¡°We think this film, in its own particular way, captures many of the themes that we are looking to address in Rio.¡±

The screening took place at Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Headquarters and was hosted by DESA and the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox.

In the beginning of June, Mr. Sha also led a small mission to participate in the ceremonies held in Rio de Janeiro. In his message at the national launch ceremony, hosted by President Dilma Roussef at the Pal¨¢cio do Planalto on 7 June, he stressed that the ¡°plus¡± in Rio+20 should also be a plus to political commitment, development partnership and action on the ground.

Mr. Sha also noted that ¡°Rio+20 cannot provide immediate answers to all these problems. It can however give us the momentum for joint, collaborative action.¡±

Rio+20 will take place in Rio de Janeiro on 4-6 June 2012 and will have two main themes: ¡°Achieving a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication¡± and ¡°The institutional framework for sustainable development¡±.

To stay updated on all matters related to Rio+20, visit the Conference website:

Read the interview with Secretary-General of Rio+20, Sha Zukang, featured in DESA News:

Follow Us