The UN High Level Forum on Sustainable Development, formed by ministers from over 190 countries, will work towards consolidating the goals and objectives set during the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (also known as Rio +20) in June this year, with Brazil as one of the co-chairs of the forum. Informal meetings will be held as of January, and in September, days before the General Assembly of the United Nations, the first formal meeting of the group will take place.

Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado, Undersecretary-General of the Environment, Energy, Science and Technology of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and General Coordinator of Rio +20 told Agência Brasil that "the forum has a universal character and will serve to coordinate international efforts in the area of sustainable development and give coherence to the actions of the United Nations in this area, in order to avoid duplication, misguided mandates and give political direction to the debate". According to the ambassador, decisions taken by the authorities will have the potential to determine issues in other areas of the United Nations (UN). "In these bodies, the States will decide what to do," he added, noting that the preliminary meetings should be completed by May.

Ministers representing economic, social and environmental areas from more than 190 countries will participate in the UN High Level Forum on Sustainable Development. The global agenda will be defined by the group with ministers considering regional reports and establishing the first recommendations for sustainable consumption and production, which should guide national policies over the next ten years.

In the preliminary meetings, a group of 30 people will coordinate activities. Brazil will be represented by Ambassador André Correa do Lago, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Environment and Special Issues and Chief Negotiator at Rio +20. Ambassador Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado said that Brazil is one of the co-chairs for negotiations on the creation and institutionalization of the forum, which will meet at least once a year.

Source:
Agência Brasil

29 December 2012