The Sustainable Development Dialogues will take place at Riocentro, between 16 and 19 June. In tem panels, representatives of civil society – including private sector, NGOs, academia and others – will debate. Recommendations derived from the Dialogues will be taken to the Heads of State and Government in the Summit, from 20 to 23 June.

Click here to see the Program Grid.

The Dialogues are an opportunity created by the Brazilian Government with the support of the United Nations for an open and innovative discussion on ten priority issues of the international agenda relating to sustainable development.

There will be three sessions per day (morning, afternoon and evening) on 16, 17 and 18, and a last one on the morning of the 19. The issues, selected based on their relevance for the debate on sustainable development, are as follows: 

(1) Unemployment, decent work and migrations; 

(2) Sustainable development as an answer to the economic and financial crises; 

(3) Sustainable cities and innovation; 

(4) The economics of sustainable development, including sustainable patterns of production and consumption; 

(5) Forests; 

(6) Food and nutrition security; 

(7) Sustainable energy for all;

(8) Water; 

(9) Sustainable cities and innovation; 

(10) Oceans.

Each session of the Dialogues will have ten panelists. From February to April, a broad process of consultations was put in motion to draw suggestions from the National Commission for Rio+20, all Ministries of the Brazilian Government all UN Major Groups, agencies of the UN system and other international institutions. A total of more than 800 names was listed. Based on that, the Executive-Secretariat of the National Commission for Rio+20 defined the composition of the ten panels. Criteria comprised gender and geographical balance, as well as representativity from all sectors of civil society. National governments and UN agencies will not contribute panelists.

In order to promote a wide public participation, the Dialogues comprise a digital platform, an open and interactive space. The platform can be accessed at www.riodilogues.org. There, it is possible to debate, make recommendations and vote on those that will subsidize the debates in Rio. The recommendations that receive more support in the platform will be transferred to an open website, available from 5 June, so that anyone can express his/her opinion.

At Riocentro, the participation in the Dialogues will depend on a pre-accreditation, in accordance with the following categories: (i) participants already accredited for Rio+20; (ii) participants that will request accreditation for the Dialogues only.

Regarding the second category, the credential will grant access to Riocentro during the days of the Dialogues, from 16 to 19 June. Moreover, all participants shall fill the form to enroll and indicate in which panels they are interested, in order to receive secondary passes. Entry in the plenary room at Riocentro will be granted only to participants accredited and holding the secondary pass. The form to enroll is available at http://formularios.itamaraty.gov.br/rio20/f2. Access to the plenary may be restricted in view of the capacity of the room.

All panels will be broadcast live at the UN website. They will also be broadcast to “Espaço Arena Barra”, with interpretation to Portuguese.