“We need everyone to work together to create the future we want,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging the world body to rally behind the recommendations of his blue ribbon panel for launching a new, people-powered agenda for development which would eradicate poverty and promote inclusive growth, while protecting the environment and making consumption and production patterns more sustainable.

BRASILIA — French President-elect Francois Hollande and his recently-inaugurated Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin informed Brazil Wednesday that they will attend next month's Rio summit on sustainable development.

This is a very important message for all of you who will be going to Rio.

A group of leading international humanitarian, development, social justice, environmental, and workers’ organisations today warned that next month’s UN Conference on SustainableDevelopment (Rio+20) looks set to add almost nothing to global efforts to deliver sustainable development. The group also warns that too many governments are using or allowing the talks to undermine established human rights and agreed principles such as equity, precaution, and‘polluter pays.’ Among the demands civil society groups call on governments to: Agree a global framework of rules to strengthen corporate reporting on social and environmental impacts worldwide, consistent with the Rio Principles, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and encompassing the full range of impacts associated with corporate activities.

In order to ensure a unified business voice in Rio and to formally engage with the UN and national governments pre and during Rio+20, the WBCSD has joined forces with the ICC and the UN Global Compact to convene Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD 2012); a temporary coalition which includes another 10 international sector associations.

Representatives from governments negotiating the outcome document for the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference (>Rio+20) today agreed to add five more days of deliberations to bridge differences that have kept them from making further progress in negotiations.