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CONFIDENTIAL
SummaryofDiscussions
Page2
Rio+20
In
hisintroductoryremarks,theSecretary:GeueralwelcomedMs.ElizabethThompsonandMr.BriceLalonde,Rio+20ExecutiveCoordinators,andMr.JanosPasztor,ExecutiveDirectorofhisHigh-LevelPanelonGlobalSustainability,whomhehadinvitedtojointhisdiscussion.TheSecretary-Generalstressed,ashehadinhisrecentstatementtotheGeneralAssembly,thatsustainabledevelopment-savingtheplanet,liftingpeopleoutofpoverty,advancingeconomicgrowth-wasthegreatestimperativeofthecurrentgenerationofleadership,aswellasofUNsystemorganizations.Herecalledhisdecision,followingCEB'sdiscussionatitsspring2011retreatsession,toestablishadedicatedgroupofprincipalstoadvisehimontheUNsystem'scontributiontothetwothemesofRio+20:thegreeneconomy,andtheinstitutionalframeworkforsustainabledevelopment.HethankedtheDeputySecretary-Generalforoverseeingthiswork,theoutcomeofwhichhadthenbeenchannelledthroughHLCPtoproducethejoint,system-wideapproach-thecommonstatement-beingdiscussedatthecurrentsession,withaviewtoitsuseasapreambletoeachorganization'ssubmissiontotheConferencesecretariatby1November20II.HealsooutlinedthecontextinwhichtheseconddocumentbeforetheBoard-theHLCPreporton"Movingtowardsafairer,greener,andmoresustainableglobalization"-hadbeenelaborated.Workhadstartedinlate2009,underMr.Somavia's,andthenMr.Steiner's,chairmanshipsoftheHigh-LevelCommitteeonProgrammes.TheCommittee'sVice-Chair,Mr.ElliotHarris,IMFSpecialRepresentativetotheUnitedNations,hadspearheadedthisprojectandhadbeeninvitedtojointhesessiontooutlineitsfindingsandrecommendations.HLCPwasseekingthereactionsandcommentsofBoardmembersinordertofinalizethereportasacontributionbyCEBtotheRio+20Conference.
Me.
SharemindedtheBoardthatonlyafewmonthswereleftbeforetheConference,andbriefedmembersonthestatusofpreparations.ThedeadlineforinputsfromGovernments,UNsystemorganizationsandmajorgroupwasonlyafewdaysaway;51contributionshadbeenreceivedsofar.SeveralregionalmeetingshadbeenheldinSantiago,Cairo,SeoulandAddisAbaba.AdditionaloneswereplannedforBeijing,NewDelhi,Warsaw,Oslo,TelAvivandCopenhagen,aswellasinGeneva,Bonn,MonacoandPaloAlto,andpossiblyotherlocations.Allgatheringshadhelpeddeepenunderstandingofthekeyissuesinvolved,revealeddifferentapproachestothesamegoal,heightenedappreciationofthechallengesinvolved,andformulatedinputsforthecompilationdocument.HestressedthattheprimaryobjectiveoftheConferencewastorenewpoliticalcommitmentforsustainabledevelopment,throughananalysisoftheprogressandgapsinimplementingexistingcommitments,andaddressingnewandemergingchallengesarounditstwothemes-agreeneconomyinthecontextofpovertyeradicationandsustainabledevelopment,andtheinstitutionalframeworkforsustainabledevelopment.Onthegreeneconomytheme,hestatedthatRio+20shouldbethecatalysttointegratetheeconomic,socialandenvironmentalpillarsofsustainabledevelopment,energizeimplementationofthesustainabledevelopmentagenda,andleadtocoherentpoliciesandprogrammesatalllevels-integration,implementationandcoherence.Hestressed,however,thatreachingacommon
 
CONFIDENTIALPage3understandingonthemeaning,scopeandimplicationsofthegreeneconomyhadbeengeneratingconsiderabledebate.ManyagreedthattheConferenceshouldfirstclarifywhatthegreeneconomywasnot,inordertohelpdefinewhatitcouldbe.Heoutlinedthatitwasnotanone-size-fits-allapproachtodevelopment,anexcuseforgreenprotectionismintradeorforgreenconditionalityinaidandfinance,awaytoputnatureundercorporatecontrol.oramodeloftinkeringatthemarginsof"businessasusual".ItshouldbebasedonthesetofprinciplesagreeduponatRio1992,includingtheconceptofcommonbutdifferentiatedresponsibility,andseenasawaytohelpaccelerateprogresstowardssustainabledevelopmentandpovertyeradication.
It
shouldre-orientpublicandprivatedecision-makingtoreflectandrespectnaturalcapital,synergize
growth
andenvironmentalprotection,andincludethepoorasmainbeneficiaries,aswellasactiveparticipantsinbuildingsuchagreeneconomy.HecitedafewexamplesofpotentiaUyusefulproductscomingoutofRio+20.TheEuropeanUnionhadadvancedtheideaofagreeneconomyroadmapasapathwaytosustainabledevelopment,withcleargoals,objectivesandtimelines.Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmentgoals(SDOs)tohelpmeasureprogressontheroadtosustainabledevelopment,ifbalancedwithandcomplementingtheMOOs,couldbeintegratedinthecurrentdiscussionsonthepost-2015developmentagenda.Thiswouldallowadifferentiatedapproach,usefultonationalpolicymakersforstock-takingandpolicy-makingatthenational,regionalandgloballevels.Atoolkitofgoodpracticesandlessonsleamedhadalsobeenproposed,asweJlasaprocessforassessingprogressonsustainabledevelopment.Heoutlinedalistofsevenpriorityareasthathademergedfromthepreparatoryprocess•Combatingpoverty,includingthroughgreenjobsandpromotingsocialinclusion;•Advancingfoodsecurityandsustainableagriculture;•Soundwatermanagement;•Energyaccessincludingfromrenewablesources,aswellasefficiencyandsustainability;•Sustainablehumansettlements;•Managementofoceans;and•Improvingresilienceanddisasterpreparedness.
On
energyaccess,anissuethatcontinuedtobeaccordedthehighestpriorityinallregions,herecalledtheSecretary-General'srecentinitiativeonsustainableenergyforall.HenotedthatRio+20offeredaexcellentplatformtoendorsethisgoal,widelybelievedtobeachievableby2030,providedthatnewbusinessmodelsweredevised,incentivesprovidedtotheprivatesector,andproperpoliciesandinstitutionsputinplace.OnthesecondthemeforRio+20,theinstitutionalframeworkforsustainabledevelopment,hestressedthatallanalysespointedtodeficitsinthethreepointshehadhighlightedearlier-integration,implementationandcoherence.Thethreepillarswerenotintegratedinaninstitutionalsetting,thefocusonimplementationofcommitmentswasweak,andtherewasalackofcoherenceamongbodies,entitiesandinstitutionsatalllevels.Heoutlinedthemainviewsthathademergedfrompreparatorymeetingsonthistheme:•AttheaJoballevel,strengtheningofUNEPandprobablyelevationtospecializedagencystatus,althoughmoredetailwassoughtonimplicationsandimpact;andcreationofaSustainableDevelopmentCouncil,alongwithideasonstrengtheningCSOandECOSOC;•AttheregJonallevel,strengtheningoftheRegionalCommissions;andimprovementofinterfacewithregionaldevelopmentbanks,regionalUNDGs,regionalintegrationentitiesandotherbodies;
 
CONFIDENTIALPage4•Atthenatfonallevel,reorientationofnationaldecision-making.withafocusonintegrationattheheartofnationalministries;activationofSustainableDevelopmentCouncils,andincreMingtbeparticipatoryroleofnationalstakeholders;•Atthe
UN
systemlevel,strengtheningofcontributionatalllevels,especiallyatthecountrylevel,throughthe"deliveringasone"modality;and•GeneraUy,thecrucialinterfacebetweenscienceandpolicy,financing.scienceandtechnology,capacity-building,aswellgenderempowerment,education,andscienceattheserviceofsustainabilitywasseenascriticaltoasuccessfuloutcome.Heconcludedbyoutliningtheremainingtime-linebetweennowandtheConference:theissuanceofacompilationtextwithaglossarybylateNovember;theholdingofaninter-sessionalmeetingmid-Decembertocommentonthestructure,formatandcontentoftheoutcomedocument;tobefollowedbythedraftingofthefirstnegotiationtext(zerodraftbymid-January);onwhichbasisnegotiationswouldstart,undertheco-chairmanshipofAmb.KimSookoftheRepublicofKoreaandAmb.JohnAsheofAntiguaandBarbuda.Finally,heinstructedBoardmemberstodirectrequestsandqueriesonlogisticalandorganizationaldetailsregardingPrepCom3,thethematicdaysandtheConferenceitselftotheConferencesecretariat.
Mr.
Steinerthenmoderatedthesession.HeintroducedthedraftCEBcommonstatement,recallingthatitwastheresultofareflectionundertakenfirstbyasmallPrincipalsGroupandthendiscussedwithinHLCPinordertobenefitfromtheperspectiveofallagencies,FundsandProgrammes.Thestatementwasthefirst-butnotlast-pronouncementoftheimportanceCBBattachedtotheConferenceandreaffirmedthesystem'scommitmenttotheissuesthatwereemergingascentrepiecesforRio+20.Hebelievedthatthestatementwasappropriateforthepreparatorystagetowhichitwastobepresented.Heremindedallthatthestatementwastheresultofathoroughandveryconstructiveinter-agencyconsultativeprocessinHLCPandurgedBoardmemberstoendorseitaswas.Headdedthatthisdocumentwastobeusedasapreambulartext,symbolizingthecommondeparturepointfromwhicheachorganizationwouldelaboratewithitsownperspectiveinitsownsubmission.Ashortdiscussionensuedwithafewparticipantssuggestingafewissuestobeaddedtothedraft,
in
particular:healthandnutrition(Mr.Lake);water(Ms.Khalaf);themovementofpeople(Mr.Guterres);andcorruption,organizedcrimeandtheruleoflaw(Mr.Fedotov).Thevariousrequestsforamendmentweresecondedbyotherspeakersinsubsequentinterventions.Mr.ShaelaboratedonthedifficultyofaligningtheRio+20mandate-toproduceashortpoliticallyfocusedoutcome-notonlywiththewidearrayofissuesinvolvedincoveringthethreepillarsofsustainabledevelopment,butalsowiththedemandsandexpectationsofmorethan193countries.Heexpressedconcernaboutsolvingthedilemmabetweenkeepingfocuswhileensuringcomprehensiveness.Recallingthesevenareasoffocusidentifiedsofarinthepreparatoryprocess,hesuggestedthatsomeofthepointsraisedinthevariousinterventionscould
be
coveredinoneormorefocus
area,
e.g.migrationcouldbetakenupunderdisaster,sustainablecitiesorsettlements;andnutritioncouldbediscussedunderthefoodsecurityand/oragriculturefocusareas.
On
aqueryregardingtheorganizationandcostofside-events,hereiteratedthathisinitialunderstandingwasthattheywould
be
organizedbythehostcountry,incloseconsultationwiththesecretariat.HeinformedtheBoardthathewould
be
travellingtoBrazilshortlytoclarifyarrangementswiththeGovernmentofBrazil-therespectiverolesofthehostcountryandthesecretariat,aswellaslogistics,security,safetyandconferencemanagement-andrepeatedhisearliercallforrequeststo
be
channelledthroughhissecretariat.Healsopointedoutthatthesideeventswouldundoubtedlyproducevariousoutcomes,initiativesthatwouldneedtofindtheirway,throughthesecretariat,intotheSummit.
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