Introduction

Abstract

The year 2012 will mark 20 years since the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development was adopted by the United Nations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992¹ and ten since the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation were adopted by the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002². A decision was made to hold the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro (therefore the acronym ‘RIO+20’), which will be conducted at the highest level and is expected to be attended by heads of states and government representatives from all over the world. The goal of the forthcoming Conference will be “to secure renewed political commitment for Sustainable Development, assessing the progress to date and remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges”³. The Conference will focus on “a green economy in context of sustainable development, poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development”⁴. The Conference will “ensure a balanced interaction of economic development, social development and environmental protection as they are interdependent and mutually reinforced components of sustainable development” ⁵.