Derek Osborn, President of Stakeholder Forum, outlines possible outcomes for Rio+20
In an article for the Outreach newsletter on 19th May, Derek Osborn suggests some possible outcomes from
In the article he outlines the five elements that made the Earth Summit in 1992 a success – the signing of two hard law Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity; the agreement of an ambitious framework for advancing sustainable development, Agenda 21; the recognition of stakeholders as major actors and participants through the 9 Major Groups; the impetus for the generation of global finance through the Global Environment Facility, and an inspiring vision and new discourse for the future through the Rio Principles.
Building on Rio’s successes, Derek argues that the Earth Summit in 2012 can help to reinvigorate global sustainable development by focussing on some key deliverables – this includes providing the platform to finalise agreements on climate change; a menu of policy options for the green economy that could be applied on a country level; the strengthening of both UNEP and the CSD; the mobilisation of significant finance to complete ‘unfinished business’, and the agreement of a more inspiring vision of sustainable development through the adoption by Heads of State of the Earth Charter.
To read the full article, please access the issue of Outreach here