Wrapping up our Rio+20 live blog
Now that Rio+20 is over, you can follow @TheElders on Twitter or visit our Elders+Youngers page for the latest news about our work on sustainable development.
The Rio+20 we don't want
In Rio+20's final moments, it could not be clearer: governments haven't been able to deliver what is needed to achieve truly relevant advancements towards sustainable development in the multilateral sphere, and civil society is united in saying that we need much more.
After the hard statement by the NGOs Major Group in the opening plenary on 20 June, mentioned here in the E+Y blog, another powerful letter came out yesterday. Signed by a diverse group of leaders and individuals deeply connected to the Rio+20 processes and called “The Rio+20 we don't want”, the letter shows disappointment with the conference's outcomes and states that “the Future We Want is not what resulted from the Rio+20 negotiation process”. The full text is presented right below, and the list of signers can be found here.
Even though Rio+20 was a failure when we analyse it through the governments' perspective, civil society comes out of it stronger and clearly ready to strengthen its demands and keep working on effective solutions towards sustainable development. There is still much to do, and we will soon publish our final analysis on the whole conference here with many more comments on what comes next!
Here's the letter:
The Rio+20 we don’t want
The Future We Want is not to be found in the document that bears this name. The Future We Want is not what resulted from the Rio+20 negotiation process.
The future that we want has commitment and action, not just promises. It has the urgency needed to reverse the social, environmental and economic crisis, not postpone it. It has cooperation and is in tune with civil society and its aspirations, and not just the comfortable position of governments.
None of these can be found in the 283 paragraphs of the official document that will be the legacy of this Conference. The document entitled The Future We Want is weak and falls far short of the spirit and the advances made over the years since Rio-92. It even falls far short of the importance and urgency of the issues addressed. Fragile and generic agendas for future negotiations do not guarantee results.
Rio+20 will go into history as the UN conference that offered global society a outcome marked by serious omissions. It endangers the preservation and social and environmental resilience of the planet, as well as any guarantee of acquired human rights for present and future generations.
For all these reasons, we, as many civil society groups and individuals, register our profound disappointment with the Heads of State, under whose guidance and orders the negotiators worked, and we state that we do not condone or endorse this document.
@estherclimate 'What we have on the table now is not the future we want' #Rioplus20 #FutureWeWant @TheElders
— Mary Robinson @MRFCJ (@MRFCJ) June 22, 2012
Our responsibility for the future of our planet
Gro Harlem Brundtland spoke at the High-level Roundtable of Heads of State and Government on the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Dialogues:
I congratulate the Government of Brazil for this initiative to reach out to broader civil society through the Internet on achieving a more sustainable and equitable world. More than 60,000 people in 193 countries engaged in this process through voting on their key concerns for the future.
From ten panel discussions here in Rio came 30 proposals for action selected through this participatory process. It is not possible to go through the 30 recommendations in two minutes, but let me briefly outline some of the cross-cutting messages that represent the gist of them all.
They are the global call for education and decent green jobs, particularly for youth and women.
They focus on the integration of access to land, water and clean energy, access to both land and to seeds for women and other small holder farmers.
They focus on sustainable food production and security.
The call for changes in the way our economies work and are measured beyond traditional GDP figures predominately.
From removing harmful subsidies, such as for fossils fuels, to developing green tax schemes, and sustainable public procurement worldwide.
We should reform tax systems that encourage environmental protection and benefit the poor.
Finally: the need to protect our oceans and their biodiversity.
The total picture is one of fully understanding what is at stake: Our responsibility for the future of our planet as the shared basis for all of humanity.
So the calling for the world to move forward on the Sustainable Development Goals, measuring and reporting on progress, is what now lies ahead for common and urgent action.
Thank you.
FLASH: Tweet what future you want for African youth. I will share wt the UN Partnership Forum today. #TheFutureWeWant #rioplus20 #fb
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 22, 2012
WATCH LIVE: Elders+Youngers at UN Partnerships Forum
Elders Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland join Youngers Esther Agbarakwe and Marvin Nala at the UN Partnerships Forum event, Partnerships contributing to the Future we want. Watch live from Rio at 1pm GMT:
The Global Sustainability Panel Report
"There is only one way to tackle the so-called 'population issue' – the imbalance between planet earth and the number of human beings it can sustain – and that is through equality for women: access to knowledge, education, access to reproductive rights and family planning."
Gro Harlem Brundtland (pictured here with Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland and Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa) speaking at an event on the Global Sustainability Panel Report today.
Photo: Christina Lacerda/The Elders
The legacy of Rio+20 will be the mobilisation of ordinary people
I am sure that if the government representatives and heads of state had heard the views, concerns and vision of the future that I have heard from the broad base of constituents here at Rio – they would have given their negotiators a different mandate: a mandate to create the future we want and which the earth needs.
We came to Rio because we need a new sustainable paradigm for development based on rights and equity – the one we have has proven itself unsustainable. We came knowing that we needed to reach out to broader constituencies and hear wider voices – but unfortunately these voices, and the vision and actions they are calling for, have not been incorporated into the final text.
Indeed, I believe that the frustration that many people will feel due to the lack of urgency and commitment to act differently – will motivate them to work on a parallel pathway to fill the gaps left by the Rio text and deliver the future they need.
People will mobilise themselves to make sure that the world we pass on to our children and grandchildren is safe, equitable, prosperous and sustainable. The legacy of Rio+20 will not be the document the heads of state endorse – it will be the mobilisation of ordinary people to build the future they desire.
FLASH: Hundreds of youth and civil society walk out of rio centro and #rioplus20 chanting 'the future we want is not found here' #riofail
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 21, 2012
Youth and civil society start a 'People's Plenary'
Hundreds of delegates, mainly youth and civil society, who are unhappy with the results of Rio+20 have turned the courtyard inside RioCentro into a People's Plenary. The growing group will hand in their badges and leave at 4pm. Read the press release, see photos and follow what's happening on Twitter using the hashtag #RioFail.
Elders' statement: Rio+20 is not the response we need to safeguard people and the planet
Gro Harlem Brundtland:
“The Rio+20 declaration does not do enough to set humanity on a sustainable path, decades after it was agreed that this is essential for both people and the planet. I understand the frustration in Rio today.
“We can no longer assume that our collective actions will not trigger tipping points, as environmental thresholds are breached, risking irreversible damage to both ecosystems and human communities. These are the facts – but they have been lost in the final document.
“Also regrettable is the omission of reproductive rights – which is a step backwards from previous agreements. However – with this imperfect text, we have to move forward. There is no alternative. The most important message as we leave Rio is that the collective task of making the three pillars of sustainable development a reality must continue – and we don’t have any time to lose.”
Elders' statement: Rio+20 is not the response we need to safeguard people and the planet
Mary Robinson:
“This is a ‘once in a generation’ moment when the world needs vision, commitment and above all, leadership. Sadly, the current document is a failure of leadership. It sets some processes in train and we will have to work with them, but we should also expect and encourage new constituencies to emerge, demanding new thinking and change from the grassroots to the top.
“I had also hoped for greater progress on creating institutions to hold governments accountable – such as a Sustainable Development Council – or a new mechanism to represent the interests of young people and future generations at the UN.
“The challenge now is to mobilise a wider community of civil society, trade unions, business and other major groups represented at the UN to create the pressure needed for a new paradigm of sustainable development.”
Elders' statement: Rio+20 is not the response we need to safeguard people and the planet
Fernando H Cardoso:
“I am concerned that the final declaration does not give the same weight to environmental protection as it does to human development and growth. This old division between environment and development is not the way we are going to solve the problems that we are creating for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“We have to accept that the solutions to poverty and inequality lie in sustainable growth, not growth at all costs. The challenge is to move our governments and institutions towards this kind of thinking.
“What is even more important than the Rio+20 Declaration is the mobilisation of people around this issue. Let us continue to demand more from our governments, and work to get effective international mechanisms to monitor progress on sustainability. Civil society must keep pushing for these changes – governments need it.”
We Must Keep Engaging, says Ban Ki-moon
I left home at 6.15am today in order the beat the traffic and get to Rio Centro and get a front seat during the Major Groups (MGs) meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Ban Ki-moon did arrive on time and the business began. The Nine Major Groups were established by Agenda 21 ( the outcome document of Rio 1992); since then they have been struggling with access and participation in the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD).
This morning the Secretary General mentioned that he deeply appreciated the contribution of the Major Groups to the process, and welcome the cordial working relationship established through the years. He believes the outcome document is a very good document and urged everyone to ensure that it works. He urged everyone to keep engaging after Rio+20 ends.
Representatives of the MGs were invited to address the Secretary General. Below is an extract from the statement by the Major Groups Youth & Children, NGOs, and Farmers.
"In order to realize the future we want and we need, governments must recognize the rights of peasants and rural peoples and protect the right to land, food and water in international human rights law. It is important to ensure a human rights based approach to development and to establish institutional mechanisms that will ensure fulfillment of human rights, particularly those pertaining to life, survival and development.
"Therefore, we strongly support the establishment of the Ombudsperson for Future Generations at national and High Commissioner for Future Generations at international levels to advocate for the needs of both current and future generations. We look forward to working with you on the report you have been invited to provide on this regard.”
For me, the outcome document is weak and lacks clear plans for implementation, as well as lacking the language on Sexual and Reproductive Rights.
I also don’t not understand why the word “unlock” is used in relation to Women's Potential as seen in Para 238; I am certainly not a locked potential. I need opportunity, not 'unlocking'.
WATCH LIVE: Summit of Women World Leaders
Gro Harlem Brundtland and Mary Robinson are now on their way to the Women Leaders’ High Level Summit, a gathering of women Heads of State and Governments - including Michelle Bachelet, Dilma Rousseff and Julia Gillard - hosted by UN Women.
The women leaders will declare their support and urge governments, civil society and the private sector to prioritise gender equality and women’s empowerment in the sustainable development agenda.
*THIS POST WAS UPDATED AT 16.30pm*
The livestream has ended but you can watch the full session again here: http://www.unwomen.org/2012/06/un-women-rio20-leaders-summit/
Attending the UN Women's Leadership Summit:'Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment for Sustainable Development' P3-1 Rio Centro.. #Womenrio
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 21, 2012
Gro Harlem Brundtland has been speaking at the Energy, Gender and Economic Growth event, co-hosted by The Elders, United Nations Foundation and World Bank.
"During the Brundtland Commission I had to struggle to have us agree on the centrality of women - their role in society, in the economy, and their right to be educated and participate. There were tears in the end, but we finally got language that brought us toward Rio (UN Conference on Environment and Development - the 'Earth Summit') in 1992 and Cairo (UN Conference on Population and Development 1994) in 1994.
"Women’s participation in the economy is very valuable economically. More than that, it is also values-based. We need to emphasise both approaches - the human rights perspective and the crucial role of women in the economy. We are not going to reach the minds of those who don’t read the rights language, don’t understand it, and don't like it if we don't use both approaches."
In the media:
The UK's Guardian newspaper interviewed Gro Brundtland at Rio+20 yesterday - read the interview here.
Eurozone crisis and US presidential race 'damaged Rio+20 prospects' gu.com/p/38fd8/tf
— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) June 21, 2012
Elders+Youngers Q&A: Esther Agbarakwe and Gro Harlem Brundtland
In our third daily Q&A from Rio, climate activist Esther Agbarakwe and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland answer your questions.
Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, is speaking at the Energy, Gender and Economic Growth event:
@CHedegaardEU calls for the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies #EndFossilFuelSubsidies #Rioplus20
— Mary Robinson @MRFCJ (@MRFCJ) June 21, 2012
Ban Ki-moon have just mentioned that the outcome document is ambitious. I don't think sir Mr. Sec. Gen!! #Rioplus20
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 21, 2012
Why is gender equality smart economic policy?
Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland are just arriving at RioCentro for a session on Energy, Gender and Economic Growth, co-hosted by The Elders, United Nations Foundation and World Bank.
Gro Harlem Brundtland will be imagining the impact of Rio+20 over the next two decades, looking back from a 2030 perspective. A high-level panel including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will then discuss the empowerment of women as an important catalyst and precondition for change.
Why is gender equality smart economic policy? Read the World Bank's background paper to its 2012 World Development Report on Energy, Gender and Development.
Our duty to future generations
At a dinner hosted by The Elders and the United Nations Foundation in Rio to honour her 25 years of leadership on sustainable development, Gro Harlem Brundtland gave a speech reflecting on the past two decades and the current status of negotiations at Rio+20.
"I'm afraid that I feel, having read the document, that they have forgotten about the environment. But I'm happy that the paragraphs on energy are there, that the paragraphs on the importance of women's empowerment and participation have been saved. We cannot give up; we have to keep confident, to pick the good pieces from the document and run with what we now have. We know that this is our duty, our responsibility - it's what we have to do for the coming generations."
Sara Svensson also gave a speech in the name of the Youngers, saying:
"It has been really inspiring and empowering to be in this dialogue with you. You have not told us to 'calm down', that we don't need to be radical; you have instead told us that we have the power to make change happen - and that is what we need to hear!"
Read this news report: ‘Godmother Gro’ hailed in Rio
The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action
Three days before the end of Rio+20, Gro Harlem Brundtland called on bold action to put sustainable development into practice. Speaking at an event organised by the Club de Madrid at Rio+20, she gave a bleak assessment of the future of the planet if current trends are not changed.
"It is a harsh reality that we now fully need to take on board that our current pattern of consumption and production cannot continue raising standards of living without overstepping planetary boundaries.
"Although great progress has been made in human development, there is increasing evidence that we are facing serious limits posed by nature, creating real barriers to further growth and prosperity.
"If present trends in growing inequality and eco-systemdegradation persist, so too there will be damage to the very potential for growth itself.
"Growth will be grinding to a halt, and may even risk reversing, as human numbers and needs continue to rise.
"We now need to bring the sustainable development paradigm to the mainstream of the global economic debate. In this way, both the cost of action and inaction will become transparent, and we will demonstrate how the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action."
More from Sara on Twitter:
Read the text that #RioPlus20 is about to adopt. Far from the #futurewewant, but know what is there to change it: bit.ly/KkBG1p
— Sara Svensson (@sajosve) June 20, 2012
@karuna_mru Karuna Rana just spoke on behalf of @MGCY_UNCSD at opening plenary of #Rioplus20, saying the document is not the #futurewewant
— Sara Svensson (@sajosve) June 20, 2012
"The future we don't want"
The NGOs just delivered a very powerful speech at the opening of the high-level segment of Rio+20, making it clear that the results so far are far from what is needed to guarantee sustainable development:
Wael Hmaidan
Climate Action Network
Thank you Vice-President.
I am making this statement on behalf of the NGOs in Rio+20.
It feels amazing to be in this room among all the world leaders, and feeling all this power around me that can shape the world. We all know the threat that is facing us, and I do not need to repeat the urgency. Science is very clear. If we do not change in the coming five to ten years the way our societies function, we will be threatening the survival of future generations and all other species on the planet. Nevertheless, you sitting here in this room have the power to reverse all of this. What you can do here is the ideal dream of each one of us: to have the opportunity to be the saviours of the planet.
And yet we stand on the brink of Rio+20 being another failed attempt, with governments only trying to protect their narrow interests instead of inspiring the world and giving all of us back the faith in humanity that we need. If this happens, it would be a big waste of power, and a big waste of leadership opportunity.
You cannot have a document titled ‘the future we want’ without any mention of planetary boundaries, tipping points, or the Earth’s carrying capacity. The text as it stands is completely out of touch with reality. Just to be clear, NGOs here in Rio in no way endorse this document. Already more than 1,000 organisations and individuals have signed in only one day a petition called “The Future We Don’t Want” that completely refuses the current text. It does not in any way reflect our aspiration, and therefore we demand that the words “in full participation with civil society” are removed from the first paragraph.
If you adopt the text in its current form, you will fail to secure a future for the coming generations, including your own children.
To mention a few examples of failures in the document:
In the issue of finding resources to implement sustainable development, we see countries using the economic crisis as an excuse, while at the same time spending hundreds of billions of dollars subsidising the fossil fuel industry, the most profitable industry in the world. The first thing you can do is eliminating the existing harmful subsidies, especially fossil fuel subsidies, which was voted as the number one issue during the civil society dialogue.
Under the oceans section, you have failed to give a clear mandate to even start negotiating an implementing agreement to stop the Wild West abuse of the high seas.
There are many other failures in the document related to women’s reproduction health, missed opportunities to start new global treaties on civil society participation and on sustainability reporting, the extraordinary lack of any reference to armed conflicts, nuclear energy (especially in light of the Fukushima disaster), and many others.
But it is not too late. We do not believe that it is over. You are here for three more days, and you can still inspire us and the world. It would be a shame and a waste for you to only come here and sign off a document. We urge you to create new political will that would make us stand and applaud you as our true leaders.
Thank you.
In the media:
Gro Harlem Brundtland features in today’s Le Monde, which quotes the Elders and Youngers’ urgent plea to make Rio+20 count for future generations. They add:
Questions about climate scepticism make her blood boil: “Let go of these stupid debates and listen to the scientists”, she replies. For Gro Harlem Brundtland, the battle continues.
In The Guardian, she is quoted on the issue of fossil fuel subsidies, which gathers momentum on social media and in the conference corridors:
Gro Harlem Brundtland, one of the architects of global sustainable governance, said she was hopeful that Rio+20 could produce a clear commitment to act on this problem.
She said: "It is outrageous that this is happening still. It was clear 20 years ago that it had to stop. But it continues still."
Her work with the Youngers also features on MSNBC:
“Elders and Youngers is our attempt to try and mobilize civil society, certainly on behalf of young people … who may be pessimistic about their future,” Brundtland said.
“Every human being is responsible for the future. It’s not enough to point at politicians and expect them to do the right thing,” she added. “We all have to try to make a difference, we all have to mobilize. This Rio is absolutely dependent on public participation.”
@BrttnyTrlfrd touched hearts with her powerful speech at #RioPlus20: "Are you here to save face, or are you here to save us?" @tcktcktck
— Sara Svensson (@sajosve) June 20, 2012
Right now in Rio, the high-level segment of Rio+20 is just about to start, with a 45 minute delay. Since there is a limited number of seats, I'm in an overflow room where it will be possible to follow the opening ceremony on a big screen. If you are not in Rio, you can follow the webcast online.
Ban Ki-moon just gave the word to 17-year-old Brittany Trilford from New Zealand who won the 'Date With History' contest, to deliver a powerful speech to inspire leaders and decision-makers to act boldly and urgently. Late yesterday I sent this message to her:
"Dear Brittany. The night before your speech has come, and we are lucky to have you with us here in Rio. Our world needs your words so desperately right now. Thank you for speaking truth to power in this defining moment. Let's all be part of history and make the positive future start now!"
Here is the YouTube video of Brittany's Date With History speech at Rio+20. Powerful stuff:
Today's video Q&A will feature Younger Esther Agbarakwe and Elder Gro Brundtland - do you have a question?
Got a question on #Rioplus20 for me & Gro Harlem Brundtland @TheElders? Tweet now - we answer tonight in a video Q&A! elde.rs/CVD
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 20, 2012
Elders+Youngers Q&A: Mary Robinson, Marvin & Sara Svensson
In our second daily Q&A from Rio, former Irish President and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson joins Youngers Sara Svensson and Marvin Nala to answer your questions on sustainable development.
The Elders at Rio+Social
The Elders and Youngers appeared on stage at Rio+Social yesterday for an intergenerational dialogue on sustainable development, streamed live to a global audience. In a twist to the usual panel discussion format, we had the Elders grilling the Youngers on their views - followed by questions coming in from Twitter.
We must change this! MT @TheElders tragedy is that we haven't implemented what we understood 20 years ago -Brundtland #rioplussocial
— Kristina Redgrave (@redgraveK) June 20, 2012
True & they shd be respected RT @GirlUp Yes! "We need the voices of young people to be at the table,"Mary Robinson @TheElders #rioplussocial
— Maureen Agena (@maureenagena) June 19, 2012
@TheElders inspire us that relationships can form across all generations. How can we stimulate this locally? @unfoundation #rioplussocial
Follow #rioplussocial and @TheElders for more discussion.
— Becky Davis (@BeckyDavis0202) June 19, 2012
Tables turned. It's @TheElders that will be asking questions, taking advice from The Youngers #RioPlusSocial
— Tariq Al-Olaimy (@tariqal) June 19, 2012
Follow #rioplussocial and @TheElders for more discussion.
Keep the pressure on
During the last days the Youngers have had some amazing opportunities: sharing a lot of time with The Elders in a series of activities, and getting in contact with people who are outside the Rio+20 negotiations conference centre but also deeply engaged in sustainable development issues.
Being with The Elders is a unique opportunity. Sharing time with Mary Robinson, Gro Brundtland and Fernand H Carsoso has been more inspiring than I can describe, and it is each time clearer how intergenerational dialogues are essential to achieve sustainability. Still, although their experience has been teaching us a lot, it is also clear that even for experienced people like The Elders there is no easy way out for any of the challenges we face, so we all have to work hard to reach the advancements we need.
Regarding what's happening outside the conference centre, one thing stands out: how civil society’s demands and proposals are much more advanced than what we have seen in the UN negotiations so far. If those negotiators are really there to represent people – and they should be – they have been failing badly.
We still have a few days to go, and I hope to see two things when the heads of state arrive in Rio tomorrow: strong leadership from those who really represent people and stand for the public interest, as well as concrete advancements in at least one group of urgent issues such as food security, unsustainable subsidies, development metrics that go beyond GDP and the ombudsperson for future generations.
In the meanwhile, let’s keep the pressure and make sure our voices get louder than ever!
My grandchildren will be 40 in 2050 - I care about that, whereas most politicians only think 6 months ahead! Mary Robinson #rioplussocial
— The Elders (@TheElders) June 19, 2012
The plenary finally ran from 12:25 to 13:45. All countries that took the floor expressed thanks to Brazil for its successful leadership and supported the text as the best compromise that the intergovernmental community could reach at this point in time.
These official statements are very different from the flood of upset comments heard in the corridors. It seems like governments will accept weak outcomes of Rio+20 in order to safeguard multilateralism.
Tonight I'll give a speech in honour of Gro Brundtland from @TheElders. How has her leadership inspired you? Tweet me and I'll let her know!
— Sara Svensson (@sajosve) June 19, 2012
Is this really the future we want?
Many young people in my village in south eastern Nigeria have no idea what is happening here, but their livelihoods and future depends on the decisions and outcome reached at the event.
For those of us the youth who are here, We have seen some process made that favours the older generation and their ambitions, but what really matters to us and many young people, including adolescents, is currently been threatened.
1.8 billion young people expect their governments to uphold their right to access information and services related to our sexual and reproductive health. Many of our peers and many adolescents NEED information related to our reproductive health and rights, and information that can help us avoid unwanted pregnancies, access modern contraception, and decide if and when we want to have children.
Our sexual and reproductive needs and right need to be protected as we are half of the world's population; the largest in human history.
"The success or failure of Rio+20 will be a defining moment for today’s youth"
The UN have uploaded the full video of yesterday's Elders+Youngers press conference:
Transformative change needed at Rio+20
"Like no other generation before, we can choose the type of future that we will leave to the next generation. A transition to a safe and prosperous future is possible, but will require the full use of humanity’s extraordinary capacity for innovation and creativity... Tinkering at the edges will not do the job."
Gro Harlem Brundtland writes in the International Herald Tribune - read the full article.
The general feeling in RioCentro right now is that the process is going straight into the wall. Negotiations went on until 3am last night, and a new text was officially released at 8am this morning. The content is far too weak, and the methods for drafting it were poor and not transparent. At the moment governments are waiting for directions on how to move forward from here.
For almost 2 hours I've been sitting on the floor in the main conference room, completely packed with negotiators and observers, just waiting for the plenary to start. As always when the official proceedings get delayed, I'm guessing that intense informal discussions are taking place somewhere behind the scenes.
The high-level segment of Rio+20 starts tomorrow. Is there still a way to add more ambition to the outcomes and save Rio+20 from disappointing the whole world?
Ms. Brundtland: Research shows that what women add to #Norwegian economy is larger than total impact of Norway’s petroleum sector. #WomenRio
— UN Women (@UN_Women) June 19, 2012
Fernando H Cardoso meets youth activists
Former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso met a group of young leaders and sustainable development activists on Sunday - incluing members of the GCCA 'Adopt a Negotiator' team and some of Oxfam's Young Action Partners who are attending Rio+20. Read Diêgo Lôbo's blog about their discussion and watch this short video clip:
You cannot have sustainable development without the empowerment of women
Gro Brundtland has been speaking at the UN Women Leader’s Forum: 'The Future Women Want'
"The empowerment of women is a precondition for real change. It is time in Rio to put behind us the tendency to underestimate the crucial role of women; half of humanity and half of communities - we can no longer afford this outrageous oversight.
"It is time to unleash all this potential for sustainable development and to stop all discrimination of women and girls."
Elders+Youngers Q&A: Fernando H Cardoso and Pedro Telles
Yesterday we asked you to send your questions about Rio+20 and sustainable development, and we put a selection to former Brazillian President Fernando H Cardoso and socio-environmental activist Pedro Telles. Watch their responses here.
Science for the people: the climate justice approach
Lindiwe Sibanda introduces Mary Robinson, speaking today at the Agriculture and Rural Development Day at Rio+20.
Youth call for an Ombudsperson for Future Generations
Young people from around the world collaborate through the Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) to influence the outcomes of Rio+20. MGCY is the UN recognized constituency for everybody under 30 years old, so the Youngers are all part of it. Follow MGCY on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UNCSDYouthCaucus and Twitter: @MGCY_UNCSD
Yesterday #MGCY members reminded delegates about the need for an Ombudsperson or High Commissioner for Future Generations: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pa8E7fSHWY The video starts with images from a peaceful action outside the negotiations room, followed by Pedro explaining the importance of the issue in Portuguese.
Pedro Telles speaking at the Elders+Younger press conference today:
"Something that is of high importance right now is dialogue; we've seen with the Elders and Youngers how important and powerful dialogue is, but here inside the negotiations the dialogue between governments and civil society has not been strong enough: what we see is that the demands brought here by civil society are simply not present inside the negotiations."
Three Elders and four Youngers just spoke to journalists at a press conference in Rio – read the press release here.
Gro Harlem Brundtland: "There is still time for the leaders assembled here in Rio to make the right choices; to implement the kind of change that is necessary – to the benefit of younger generations."
Mary Robinson expressed her concern that the draft negotiating text is believed to be too weak; that delegates don't seem to understand the social aspects of sustainable development. "We need a Sustainable Development Council," she said, echoing Gro Harlem Brundtland. "And we need a rapid agreement on Sustainable Development Goals – that link with completing the Millennium Development Goals: on the same track, not two separate tracks."
Esther Agbarakwe joined the Elders in calling for gender equality to be made central to sustainable development. "Gender is intergenerational," she said. "We are the future." Pointing out that the empowerment of women – and especially young women and girls – is the fundamental basis of sustainable development, she described her concern that the rights of women and girls are not guaranteed in the draft negotiating text.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso reminded those watching that the future belongs to today's youth, saying "I have the past – they have the future." Reflecting on the twenty years since the first Rio Earth Summit, he acknowledged that there have been some important changes – there is greater awareness, and the social agenda is now part of the 'sustainable development' vocabulary – but emphasised that now is the time for practical action and real commitment by world leaders.
Like President Cardoso, Sara Svensson stressed the importance of thinking long term: "What do you want for your great-great-great-great-grandchildren? That is what Rio+20 is about." She advocated the creation of an Ombudsperson for Future Generations and hoped that the conference would ensure this as a concrete outcome.
Elders+Youngers!
The Elders and Youngers meet up at Rio+20. After two months of online debate, this is the first time all of the Elders and Youngers are together. From left to right: Marvin Nala, Sara Svensson, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H Cardoso, Mary Robinson, Pedro Telles and Esther Agbarakwe.
"Educate women and girls on reproductive health and family planning.We have development,We all know what works" - Mary#rioplus20 #FB
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 18, 2012
Gro Brundtland has been speaking at a press conference with Michelle Bachelet on the critical issues facing women:
Ms. Gro Brundtland: Now is the time to unleash the unused potential of half of the world’s population. #WomenRio #futurewewant
— UN Women (@UN_Women) June 18, 2012
From Esther on Twitter:
Language on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights HAS BEEN DELETEDat Rio+20..WE NEED IT BACK!!!
— Esther Agbarakwe (@estherclimate) June 18, 2012
Marvin Nala talks about the need for countries to re-affirm their commitment to 'common but differentiated responsibilities' (CBDR) at Rio+20:
"We must focus to get results"
After a discussion between Fernado H Cardoso and 25 young activists, Pedro Telles talks about the some of the points raised, and how to get results at Rio+20.
Desmond Tutu has written for the UN's #futurewewant 'Rio Reads' series:
Now online: the latest installment of our #FutureWeWant Rio Reads series -- "Archbishop Tutu: The Future I Want" j.mp/MPFCIk
— United Nations (@UN) June 17, 2012
Youngers United!
The four youngers all together for the first time. From left-right: Esther Agbarakwe, Pedro Telles, Marvin Nala and Sara Svensson.
Elders+Youngers: it's our future, it's our time
Welcome to The Elders' live blog from Rio!
Three Elders – Gro Harlem Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Mary Robinson – are in Brazil this week for Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development.
After weeks of online debate, they are also being joined by the four Youngers – Esther Agbarakwe from Nigeria, Marvin Nala from China, Sara Svensson from Sweden and Pedro Telles from Brazil – to continue their intergenerational dialogue face to face.
L-R: Pedro Telles, Sara Svensson, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Esther Agbarakwe, Marvin Nala
Follow this live blog for the latest news and updates from Rio.
From Twitter 
