Latin America and the Caribbean seek consensus on sustainable development

International experts and members of the civil society of Latin America and the Caribbean initiated discussions on September 7 to agree on a joint stance for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. The preparatory meeting, which ended on Friday, September 9, was opened by Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), authorities from the governments of Brazil, host of the global conference, and Chile, venue for this regional meeting, and senior officials from organisations of the United Nations system who work in the area of development and environment.

It was attended by senior representatives from all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Representatives from the main groups in the region, including women, workers, peasants, indigenous people, businessmen, young people and other NGOs, participated in the opening, each one with specific proposals. In their discussions, the delegates examined the progress and remaining gaps in the region in the fulfilment of several sustainable development commitments adopted at international level, and they formulated proposals for the global summit.

Chilean Foreign Affairs Deputy Vice Minister Fernando Schmidt stated: “In the present international climate, this is the time for the region to reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism, and to consolidate its role as a bridge between the developing world and the developed world.” Luiz Alberto Figueiredo, assistant secretary general for environment, science and technology of the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry, stated that not only will the Rio+20 Conference analyse the progress made since 1992, but it will also look beyond 2012. “In Rio, we will have the unique opportunity to look at the future and define the joint vision that we want to have as a region for the development of our people,” he stated.

During the first day of the meeting, the inter-agency document “Sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean 20 years on from the Earth Summit: progress, gaps and strategic guidelines” was presented, and it was compiled by 19 organisations, agencies and programmes of the United Nations, and was coordinated by ECLAC. The document was prepared by the following agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), World Food Programme (WFP), Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), International Labour Organisation (ILO), World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and UN Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication.