Below is a brief introduction to the objectives and themes of the Rio+20 conference and ICLEI's involvement in this process.

What is Rio+20?

In  December 2009, the UN General Assembly decided to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) - also referred to as 'Rio+20'.

The Conference, which will be held from the 20-22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has three objectives:

• securing renewed political commitment to sustainable development,
• assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting already agreed commitments,
• addressing new and emerging challenges.

UN Member States have agreed on the following two themes for the Conference:

• green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, 
• institutional framework for sustainable development.

How is ICLEI involved?

The year 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit, the birthplace of the Local Agenda 21 movement. Initiated by ICLEI, it has inspired thousands of local governments and communities worldwide to put in place local strategies and actions for sustainable development.

Now it’s time to take stock of the lessons learnt at the local level and propose new ways forward for  local governments in their quest for green, livable cities. Debate is also needed on the governance framework to be implemented on the national and international levels, in order for local governments to successfully contribute to global sustainability.

To achieve the goals outlined above, ICLEI is strongly involved in the Rio+20 preparatory processes:

• acting as Local Authority Major Group co-organizing partner,
• leading the Local Sustainability 2012 global study, 
• bringing the local leaders together before and at the conference with the World Congress 2012 and Rio+20 Global Town Hall.

For more information on Rio+20 and local governments, consult the ICLEI Rio+20 Briefing Sheet, available in the Publications section.