Rio+20: Earth talks ‘in need of vision and direction’

FT.com ^ | 4/23/2012 | Pilita Clark

[wheresmyusa]

There is no reason to suppose that yet another global conference will solve the world’s environmental woes. But for three days in June, the UN is to hold a meeting in Rio de Janeiro where more than 100 leaders are expected to go at least some way towards doing that.

So far, the signs are not encouraging for Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development being held 20 years after the 1992 UN Rio earth summit that helped push the environmental movement into the mainstream.

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The 1992 conference drew 108 heads of state from more than 170 countries, according to the UN, plus 2,400 representatives from non-government organisations. About 17,000 people attended a parallel NGO forum.

After a good deal of preparation, the summit also produced several important agreements, most notably the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, forerunner of the 1997 Kyoto protocol, the world’s only legally binding treaty obliging wealthy countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

It also produced “Agenda 21”, a blueprint for action that led to hundreds of bodies embedding sustainable development principles into their operations. And it opened for signature the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which had just been drawn up.

[wheresmyusa]

“The key to Rio+20 being a success is to recognise the parts that were missing 20 years ago,” says Adam Matthews, secretary-general of Globe International, the body that works to advance environmental laws.

“There was a failure to ensure that commitments turned into national legislation,” he says. No structure was created “that could legitimately hold governments’ feet to the fire if they were failing to deliver”.

[Rembrandt]

Prostitution is legal in Brazil and there are puh—lenty of hookers, good looking ones, too.

[freedumb2003]

>>legitimately hold governments’ feet to the fire if they were failing to deliver”.<<

Try to hold MY feet to the fire and my shotgun and your forearm are about to be come kissin’ cousins...

As I told them a month r so ago on American Airlines — anything that starts with the letters UN is corrupt and hates America and Israel.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

anything that starts with the letters UN is corrupt and hates America and Israel
__________________________________________________

*applause*

[wheresmyusa]

testify!

[TEXOKIE]

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