Twenty years ago at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, countries adopted Agenda 21 a blueprint to rethink economic

growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.

Marking the 20th anniversary of that conference (and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg), this June sees the UN organizing another Conference on Sustainable Development and is
bringing together thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, to agree on a
range of measures to reduce poverty, promoting decent jobs, clean energy and a more sustainable and fair use of resources.
The Rio+20 Conference will include Heads of State and Government or other representatives hoping to get an agreed and
focused political document.
Unsurprisingly getting governments to agree on this kind of thing is full of challenges to say the least, as many vested
interests are involved.
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development will be held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, from
Jun. 20-22
first great Earth Summit in 1992- the conference will draw more than 80 heads of state
Discussion will focus on two main themes: the "green economy" in the context of sustainable development
and poverty eradication, and the institutional context of sustainable development,
The rich countries want the United Nations to grant them a mandate at Rio+20 to define for the entire world the standards
and yardsticks for determining the economical value of the various functions of nature and on this basis create a world
market for environmental services. This "green economy" would result in the commodification not only of the material
components of nature but even natural processes and functions. In other words, the "green economy", in the words of
Bolivian activist Pablo Solon, will try to commodify not only the wood in the forests but also these forests' capacity for
absorption of carbon dioxide.
The central objective of this "green economy" is to create for private investment a market for water, for the environment, the
oceans, biodiversity, and other elements of nature.