United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012

The United Nations General Assembly decided in December 2009 to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in 2012 - also referred to as 'Rio+20' or 'Rio 20'.

The Conference will aim at securing renewed political commitment to sustainable development, assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting already agreed commitments, and addressing new and emerging challenges. It will have two themes: 1. Green Economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction, and 2. Institutional Framework for sustainable development. The Preparatory Committee may add other themes.

The first Preparatory Committee met 17-19 May 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York, immediately after the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. The Second Preparatory Committee Meeting will be held on 7-8 March 2012 to discuss further the substantive themes of the Conference. The third and final meeting of the Preparatory Committee will be held in Brazil on 9-11 May 2012 to discuss the outcome of the Conference, immediately preceding the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.

The official UN web site for the conference is at http://www.uncsd2012.org/.

Stakeholder Forum has also set up a web site for the summit at http://www.earthsummit2012.org/.

CALENDAR OF OFFICIAL PREPARATORY EVENTS

First Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for UNCSD 
New York, 17-19 May 2010

First intersessional meeting of UNCSD 
New York, 10–11 January 2011

Second Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for UNCSD 
New York, 7–8 March 2011

Second Intersessional meeting of UNCSD 
New York, 14-15 November 2011

Regional implementation meetings will become regional preparatory meetings for the Conference in 2011.

Third Meeting of the Preparatory Committee for UNCSD 
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 9-11 May 2012

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 
Rio de Janeiro, 14-16 May 2012