United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio +20

From the “Future we want” to the future we get.

By Handy Acosta Cuellar

Introduction

It is well known that the United Nations is a battleground between developed and developing countries. What we see in these negotiations is only the tip of the iceberg of more complex processes and a conflict of interests.  In that context everyone tries to apply pressure and win their share but very few get benefits and many more are in an accommodated position.

The United Nations struggle is a reflection of today´s world, the complex society in which we live and the important changes that we are experiencing.

To understand the weak results of the last UN Conference on Sustainable Development we need to analyze how the process was driven and what is the current situation at the UN international negotiations forums.

 Cuban NGO representatives during the Rio+20 Dialogues.

The Global crisis

In 2008 the financial crisis in the United States of America and the European Union along with food prices crisis, the energy crisis and the climate change crisis, create a global scenario of multiple crisis, caused mainly by the non-sustainable development patterns.

Concerned about this situation the United Nations proposed to organize a Conference on the Financial Crisis and its Impact on Development. The Government of Brazil takes the initiative to propose a conference on the 20th anniversary of the Summit of Rio 92.  

After difficult negotiations the Conference was approved, but with only 2 points in the agenda: the Green Economy and the creation of a World Environment Organization.  No extra money was allocated for the Conference with no funds and time for the negotiations the results were condemned to be very insubstantial.

Preparatory process

In the preparatory process the multiple interventions revealed the diversity of views and positions on each of the elements, in particular the Green Economy in the Context Sustainable Development. 

In one side the G-77, pledge for an effective implementation mechanism and the allocation of adequate financial resources. In the other side the European Union said the conference should achieve two key elements: first, a global commitment to the green economy and second the transformation of UNEP into a specialized agency for the environment.

The document submitted as Zero draft in January 2012 was named: "The Future We Want".

By June 15th very slight progress had been made. There were distant positions on the Green Economy, Institutional Structure for Sustainable Development and the definition of a set of sustainable development objectives. At that point all the participants asks Brazil to continue with a process of consultations to finalize the document.

The final text was adopted in Plenary "ad referendum" by knowing it was the outcome of a difficult and very hard negotiation.

This is a clear fight of developed countries to take out from this scenario any negotiation regarding funding commitments.

Latin American leader Rafael Correa pledge for
sustainable development in Rio+20

Results

The document "The Future We Want" is the result of this process and must then be judged in this context, especially in controversial areas.

The first result to consider is the effectiveness multilateral system to achieve complex negotiations. This process opened a path to maintain the paradigm of sustainable development and poverty eradication in a moment of multiple crises.

Another key result was the ratification of the Declaration of Principles Rio 92 and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

The creation of the high level forum for sustainable development is one of the potentially most important outcomes. 

The final document of the Summit "The Future We Want”  is the kind of agreements we get if there is no real participation of civil society and other development agents.

Cuban Vice-President was the Head of the delegation
during the negotiations

Recommendations

Rio +20 is not over, it had begun. It is now up to the General Assembly to fulfill its mandate and reach a consensus to accomplish the agreements.

To monitor this process   is essential that the governments maintain the same energy on sustainable development.   It is also very important that the media, the social movements, academia, professional organizations, civil society and NGOs keep their observation on the progress and that UN should give them fully participation in the draft of recommendations and in the upcoming negotiations. 

The future we want will not only depend on governments and their negotiation talents. The future we want will mostly depend in our capabilities to make pressure on them and in our willingness to fully overcome social, economic and environmental challenges. Now is time to change but, are we ready?