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.