Participation
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio +20, to be held in the city of Rio de Janeiro between 13 and 22 June 2012, will involve the entire international community; it will be attended by representatives from 193 UN Member States and thousands of participants from various sectors of civil society. It is worth pointing out that the accreditation of official delegations, major groups representatives and press members attending the conference is the responsibility of the UN.
Brazil's participation in the event is coordinated by the Brazilian Commission for Rio+20, created by Decree 7495 of June 7, 2011 (document in portuguese)
Member States
Rio +20 is an intergovernmental process directed by the United Nations Member States, with strong engagement by the UN system and major groups. Several preparatory meetings are being held by the Member States in the months leading up to the conference, to discuss objectives and proposed themes. The Conference will be attended by Heads of State and Government, as well as other representatives, and should result in consensus documents.
International Civil Society
Since Rio-92, civil society participation has been essential in promoting sustainable development. According to the United Nations system, the so-called "major groups" - non-governmental organizations, business groups, indigenous communities, local authorities, farmers' organizations, children and youth groups, women's organizations and the scientific and technological community - will all have their spaces guaranteed, in order to represent civil society. To participate, organizations must be registered with the UN - this can be verified through the list of organizations with consultative status at ECOSOC - the Economic and Social Council. It is worth mentioning that organizations that have participated in other conferences are automatically accredited.
Individuals
Your participation is very important to the success of the Conference. Everyone can contribute, by sending suggestions, disseminating information and participating in conference events. Before the event, you can participate by sending suggestions, written in any of the official UN languages (English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian or Chinese) to uncsd2012@un.org.
You can also partake in various events planned in parallel to the intergovernmental agenda during the Conference. They will take place in areas reserved for Civil Society by the National Organization Committee, and its programs will be disseminated by the press in due course.
Come back soon for additional details on how to participate.
