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22 may 2012 the future we want i our common vision 1 we the heads of state and government and high level representatives having met at rio de janeiro brazil from 20-22 june 2012 with full participation of civil society renew our commitment to sustainable development and to ensure the promotion of economically socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet and for present and future generations [agreed ad ref 2 we recognize that a central challenge for sustainable development is to eradicate poverty taking into account the need for a balanced approach towards sustainable development we reaffirm the need to promote integrated and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems that supports inter alia economic social and human development while facilitating ecosystem conservation regeneration and restoration and resilience in the face of new and emerging challenges 3 we reaffirm that eradicating poverty remains the greatest global challenge facing the world today and that together with changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development poverty eradication is an overarching objective of and essential requirement for sustainable development we are committed to free humanity from extreme poverty and hunger as a matter of urgency 4 we reaffirm our commitment to making every effort to accelerate the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals including the millennium development goals by 2015 5 we recognize that people are at the center of sustainable development and in this regard we strive for a world which is just equitable and inclusive and we commit to work together to promote sustained economic growth and development social equity and environmental sustainability and thereby to benefit all [agreed ad ref 6 we reaffirm that we continue to be guided by the purposes and principles of the charter of the united 1

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22 may 2012 nations and with full respect for the international law and its principles 7 we also reaffirm the importance of freedom peace and security respect for all human rights including the right to development and the right to adequate food the rule of law gender equality and the overall commitment to just and democratic societies for development 8 we reaffirm the importance of the universal declaration of human rights as well as other international instruments relating to human rights and international law we emphasize the responsibilities of all states in conformity with the charter to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of any kind to race colour sex language or religion political or other opinion national or social origin property birth or other status 9 we acknowledge that good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels as well as an enabling environment for investments are essential for sustainable development including sustained and inclusive economic growth and the eradication of poverty and hunger we reaffirm that to achieve our goals of sustainable development we need institutions at all levels that are effective transparent accountable and democratic 10 we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening international cooperation and addressing the persistent challenges related to sustainable development for all in particular developing countries taking into account the need for enhancing gender equality and equal opportunities for all and the protection survival and development of children we also reaffirm that economic stability and sustained economic growth promotion of social equity and protection of the environment are important for eradicating poverty and improving human well-being 11 we renew our commitment to sustainable development assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges we express our determination to address herein and to take appropriate urgent action on the themes of the conference namely a green economy in the context of 2

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22 may 2012 sustainable development and poverty eradication and institutional framework for sustainable development the 12 we recognize that sustainable development is fundamentally a question of people s opportunities to influence their lives and future participate in decision making and voice their concerns sustainable development requires a joint effort and a concrete and urgent action of us all it can only be achieved with a broad alliance of people governments civil society and private sector all working together to secure the future we want for present and future generations ii renewing political commitment a reaffirming rio principles and past action plans 13 we reaffirm the stockholm declaration of the united nations conference on the human environment adopted at stockholm on 16 june 1972 14 we also reaffirm that all the principles contained in the rio declaration on environment and development will continue to guide the international community in the achievement of sustainable development and the future we want and will serve as the basis for cooperation coherence and implementation of agreed commitments including in this outcome 15 we reaffirm our commitment to fully implement the rio declaration on environment and development agenda 21 the programme for the further implementation of agenda 21 the johannesburg declaration on sustainable development and the plan of implementation of the world summit on sustainable development the barbados programme of action and the mauritius strategy for implementation we also reaffirm our commitment to the full implementation of the istanbul programme of action for least developed countries the almaty programme of action for landlocked developing countries the political declaration on africa s development needs and the new partnership for africa s development as well as our commitments in the outcomes of all the major united nations conferences and summits in the economic social and related fields including the un millennium declaration and the 2005 world summit outcome the monterrey consensus and the doha declaration on financing for development and the outcome document of the 3

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22 may 2012 high-level plenary meeting of the un general assembly on the mdgs 16 we recognize the importance of the three rio conventions to advancing sustainable development and in this regard we urge all parties to fully implement their commitments under the united nations framework convention on climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities the convention on biological diversity and the united nations convention to combat desertification to take effective and concrete actions and measures at all levels and to enhance international cooperation 17 we reaffirm our commitment to reinvigorate political will and international commitment to move the sustainable development agenda forward and to raise the level of commitment by the international community to implement sustainable development including through the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals including the millennium development goals we therefore agree to concrete measures that accelerate implementation of sustainable development commitments b advancing integration implementation and coherence assessing the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and addressing new and emerging challenges 18 we recognize that the twenty years since the earth summit in 1992 have seen progress including in sustainable development and poverty eradication we also recognize the need to accelerate progress in closing development gaps between developed and developing countries and to create new opportunities through economic growth and diversification to collectively address the issue of sustainable development we recognize the need to make progress in implementing previous commitments to this end we underscore the continued need for an enabling economic environment strengthened international cooperation particularly in the areas of finance debt trade and technology transfer as mutually agreed and innovation and entrepreneurship capacity building and the full and effective participation of all countries in global decision making 4

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22 may 2012 19 we acknowledge that since 1992 there have been areas of insufficient progress and setbacks in the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development aggravated by multiple financial economic food and energy crises which have threatened the ability of all countries in particular developing countries to achieve sustainable development 20 we are deeply concerned that one in five people on this planet or over one billion people still live in extreme poverty and that one in seven or 14 is undernourished while pandemics and epidemics remain omnipresent threats we acknowledge that with the world s population projected to exceed nine billion by 2050 we need to increase our efforts to achieve sustainable development and in particular the eradication of poverty and hunger 21 we recognize examples of progress in sustainable development at regional national sub-national and local levels we note that efforts to achieve sustainable development have been reflected in regional national and sub-national policies and plans and that governments have strengthened their commitment to sustainable development since the adoption of agenda 21 through legislation and institutions and the development and implementation of international regional and sub-regional agreements and commitments [agreed ad ref 22 we are concerned that despite efforts by governments and other stakeholders in all countries there remain major challenges to sustainable development and greater efforts are essential to achieve sustainable development including the need for greater coherence among social environmental and economic policies and implementation modalities in support of sustainable development therefore we resolve to proactively address the remaining barriers and gaps in the implementation of internationally agreed commitments 23 we reaffirm the importance of supporting developing countries in their efforts to promote empowerment of the poor marginalized groups and people in vulnerable situations including removing barriers to opportunity and enhancing productive capacity developing sustainable agriculture and promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all complemented by effective social 5

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22 may 2012 policies with a view to achieving the internationally agreed development goals including the mdgs 24 we express deep concern about the continuing high levels of unemployment and underemployment particularly among young people and note the need for sustainable development strategies to proactively address youth employment and stress the need for the development of a global strategy on youth employment [14 ter we reaffirm the need to take further effective measures to remove obstacles to the realization of the right of peoples to self-determination in particular peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation which continue to adversely affect their economic and social development as well as their environment and are incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person and must be combated and eliminated people under foreign occupation must be protected in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law ­g77 canada us delete eu turkey reserves [14 quat we also reaffirm that in accordance with the declaration on the principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation among states in accordance with the charter of the united nations this shall not be construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair totally or in part the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent states conducting themselves in compliance with the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples and thus possessed of a government representing the whole people belonging to the territory without distinction of any kind ­g77 us canada delete eu turkey reserves 25 we recognize that many people especially the poor depend directly on ecosystems for their livelihoods their economic social and physical well-being and their cultural heritage for this reason it is essential to generate decent jobs and incomes that decrease disparities in standards of living to better meet people s needs and promote sustainable livelihoods and practices and the sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems [agreed ad ref 26 we emphasize that sustainable development must be inclusive and people-centered benefiting and involving all people including youth and children we recognize that gender equality and women s empowerment are important for sustainable development and our common future in this regard we reaffirm our commitments to the cairo programme of action the beijing declaration and the beijing platform for action to ensure women s equal rights access and 6

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22 may 2012 opportunities for participation and leadership economy society and political decision making in the 27 we recognize that each country faces specific challenges to achieve sustainable development and we underscore the special challenges facing the most vulnerable countries and in particular african countries least developed countries landlocked developing countries small island developing states and middle-income countries countries in situations of conflict also need special attention 28 we reaffirm our commitment to take urgent and concrete action to address the vulnerability of small island developing states sids including through the sustained implementation of the mauritius strategy and bpoa and underscore the urgency of finding additional solutions to the major challenges facing small island developing states in a concerted manner so as to support them in sustaining momentum realized in implementing the bpoa and msi and achieving sustainable development 29 we reaffirm that the istanbul programme of action for the least developed countries for the decade 2011-2020 outlines ldcs priorities for sustainable development and defines a framework for renewed and strengthened global partnership to implement them we commit to assist ldcs with the implementation of the ipoa as well as their efforts to achieve sustainable development [agreed ad ref 30 we recognize that more attention should be given to africa and the implementation of previously agreed commitments related to its development needs that were made at major un summits and conferences we note that while aid to africa has increased in recent years it still lags behind commitments that were previously made we underscore the key priority for the international community of supporting africa s sustainable development efforts in this regard we recognize the urgency to fully implement the internationally agreed commitments related to africa s development needs particularly those contained in the united nations millennium declaration the declaration on the new partnership for africa s development the monterrey consensus of the international conference on financing for development the plan of implementation of the world summit on sustainable development johannesburg plan of implementation and the 2005 world summit outcome as well 7

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22 may 2012 as the 2008 political declaration on africa s development needs 31 we recognize the serious constraints to achieve sustainable development in all its three dimensions in landlocked developing countries in this regard we reaffirm our commitment to address special development needs and the challenges faced by landlocked and transit developing countries through the full and effective implementation of the almaty programme of action as contained in the declaration on the mid-term review 32 we recognize the progress made by middle-income countries in improving the well-being of their people as well as the specific development challenges they face and the need to adequately support their efforts to eradicate poverty reduce inequalities and achieve their development goals including the mdgs and to achieve sustainable development in a comprehensive manner integrating the economic social and environmental dimensions 33 we recognize that the planet earth and its ecosystem are our home and that mother earth is a common expression in a number of countries and regions we are convinced that in order to achieve a just balance among the economic social and environment needs of present and future generations it is necessary to promote harmony with nature 34 we call for holistic and integrated approaches to sustainable development which will guide humanity to live in harmony with nature and lead to efforts to restore the health and integrity of the earth s ecosystem [agreed ad ref 35 we acknowledge the natural and cultural diversity of the world and recognize that all cultures and civilizations can contribute to sustainable development [agreed ad ref c engaging major groups and other stakeholders [agreed ad ref 36 we reaffirm the key role of all levels of government and legislative bodies in promoting sustainable development we further acknowledge efforts and progress made at the local and sub-national levels and recognize the important role that such authorities and communities 8

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22 may 2012 can play in implementing sustainable development including by engaging citizens and stakeholders and providing them with relevant information as appropriate on the three dimensions of sustainable development we further acknowledge the need to include decision makers at all levels into planning and implementation of sustainable development policies 37 we underscore that broad public participation and access to information and judicial and administrative proceedings are essential to the promotion of sustainable development sustainable development requires the meaningful involvement and active participation of all major groups ­ women children and youth indigenous peoples non-governmental organisations local authorities workers and trade unions business and industry the scientific and technological community and farmers ­ and other relevant stakeholders including regional national and sub-national parliaments and judiciaries voluntary associations and foundations migrants as well as older persons and persons with disabilities in this regard we agree to work more closely with major groups and other stakeholders and encourage their active participation in decision making planning and implementation of policies and programmes for sustainable development at all levels including through the contribution of their specific views knowledge and practical know-how 38 we acknowledge the role of civil society and the importance of enabling all members of civil society to be actively engaged in sustainable development we recognize that improved participation of civil society depends upon strengthening access to information and building civil society capacity we recognize that information and communication technology ict is making it easier for governments to share information with the public and for the public to hold decision makers accountable in this regard it is essential to work towards improved access to ict especially broadband networks and services and bridge the digital divide 39 we underscore that women have a vital role to play in achieving sustainable development we recognize the leadership role of women and we resolve to promote gender equality and women s empowerment and to ensure their full and effective participation in sustainable development 9

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22 may 2012 policies programmes [agreed ad ref and decision-making at all levels 40 we acknowledge the implementation of sustainable development will depend on active engagement of both the public and private sectors we recognise that the active participation of the private sector can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development including through the important tool of public-private partnerships we support regulatory and policy frameworks that enable business and industry to advance sustainable development initiatives in accordance with national legislation and objectives taking into account the importance of applying standards of corporate social responsibility and accountability 41 we acknowledge the importance of corporate sustainability reporting and encourage public and private companies where appropriate including all listed and large public companies to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle building on the experience of already existing national and international reporting frameworks we recognize the need for global best practices on sustainability reporting 42 we recognize the important contribution of the scientific and technological community to sustainable development we are committed to working more closely with academia and the scientific and technological community in all countries in particular in developing countries to strengthen the science-policy interface as well as to foster sharing of knowledge and information and international research collaboration 43 we stress the importance of the participation of indigenous peoples in the achievement of sustainable development we also recognize the importance of the un declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples in the context of global regional national and sub-national implementation of sustainable development strategies [agreed ad ref 44 we stress the importance of the active participation of young people in decision making processes as the issues we are addressing have a deep impact on present and future generations and as the contribution of children and youth is vital to the achievement of sustainable development we 10

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22 may 2012 also recognize the need to promote intergenerational dialogue and solidarity by recognizing their views 45 we stress the importance of the participation of workers and trade unions to the promotion of sustainable development as the representatives of working people trade unions are important partners in facilitating the achievement of sustainable development in particular the social dimension information education and training on sustainability at all levels including in the workplace are key to strengthening workers and trade unions capacity to support sustainable development 46 we recognize that farmers including small-scale farmers and fishers pastoralists and foresters can make important contributions to sustainable development if production activities are environmentally sound enhance food security and the livelihood of the poor and invigorate production and sustained economic growth 47 we note the valuable contributions of non-governmental organisations in promoting sustainable development through their well-established and diverse experience expertise and capacity especially in the area of analysis sharing of information promotion of dialogue and support of implementation of sustainable development 48 we acknowledge the central role of the united nations as well as the important contributions of other relevant international organizations in advancing the sustainable development agenda encouraging and facilitating close cooperation among states as well as between states and other stakeholders and mobilizing resources for sustainable development 49 we commit ourselves to invigorating the global partnership for sustainable development that we launched in rio in 1992 we recognize the need to impart new momentum to our cooperative pursuit of sustainable development and commit to work together with major groups and other stakeholders in addressing implementation gaps 11

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22 may 2012 iii green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication 50 we recognize that there are different approaches visions models and tools available to each country in accordance with its national circumstances and priorities to achieve our overarching goals to eradicate poverty and achieve the three dimensions of sustainable development in an integrated manner in this regard we consider a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as a valuable tool for achieving sustainable development and we acknowledge that it can provide options for policy making but is not a rigid set of rules we emphasize that it should contribute to eradicating poverty as well as sustained economic growth enhancing social inclusion improving human welfare and creating new opportunities for employment and decent work for all while maintaining the healthy functioning of the earth s ecosystems 51 we affirm that the development and implementation of policies for a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication should be guided by and in accordance with all the rio principles agenda 21 and the jpoi and contribute towards achieving relevant internationally agreed development goals including the mdgs recognizing national capabilities and priorities 52 we affirm that green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication should a respect each country s national sovereignty and right to development as well as its national circumstances objectives and priorities with regard to the three dimensions of sustainable development be supported by an enabling environment and wellfunctioning institutions at all levels with a leading role for governments and with the participation of all relevant stakeholders promote sustained and inclusive economic growth foster innovation and provide opportunities benefits and empowerment for all while taking into account the needs of developing countries particularly those in special situations strengthen international cooperation mobilize the efforts of all countries and means of implementation b c d 12

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22 may 2012 from all sources and avoid unwarranted conditionalities on oda and finance avoid creating trade measures that constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on international trade contribute to closing technology gaps between developed and developing countries and reduce the technological dependence of developing countries enhance the welfare of indigenous peoples and their communities and other local communities recognizing and supporting their identity culture and interests and avoid endangering their cultural heritage and traditional knowledge enhance the welfare of women children youth people with disabilities small and subsistence farmers fishers and those working in small and medium enterprises and support the livelihoods and development of people in vulnerable situations promote pro-poor productive activities in developing countries acknowledge that countries priorities based on national circumstances include inter-alia eradicating poverty education health food water and energy for the basic well being of people preserve and promote community practices and nonmarket approaches that have demonstrated to be useful in eradicating poverty and protecting the environment address the concern about inequalities between and within countries and the related concentration of income and wealth e f g h i j k l 53 we view the implementation of green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as a common undertaking and recognize that each country can choose an appropriate path towards a fair and inclusive future in accordance with national sustainable development plans strategies and priorities while taking into account that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction 54 we acknowledge that green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication should strive to enhance our ability to manage natural resources sustainably and with lower environmental impacts increase 13

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22 may 2012 resource use efficiency and reduce waste promote the conservation management and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services and promote sustainable consumption and production patterns towards the achievement of sustainable development 55 we urge all countries as appropriate to implement green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication that have the potential to drive sustainable growth and innovation and the creation of green jobs and decent work particularly for women and youth and people in vulnerable situations we note the importance of ensuring that workers are equipped with the necessary skills including through education and capacity building and are provided with the necessary social and health protections in this regard we encourage business and industry to contribute as appropriate we also encourage governments to improve knowledge and statistical capacity on job trends developments and constraints and integrate relevant data into national statistics 56 we call for the integration of social and environmental costs in all decision making and policy making and acknowledge that it will be important to take into account the effectiveness opportunities and challenges of green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication as well as its environmental social and economic benefits costs and risks using the best available scientific data and analysis we acknowledge that a mix of regulatory measures voluntary approaches and market-based mechanisms can promote inclusive green economy and reaffirm that a framework of social policies at all levels is vital to promoting sustainable development 57 we acknowledge that partnerships networking at all levels and experience sharing can help countries to learn from one another in identifying appropriate green economy policies to promote sustainable development and poverty eradication we note the positive experiences in some countries including in developing countries in adopting green economy policies that promote sustainable development and poverty eradication through an inclusive approach and welcome the voluntary exchange of experiences as well as capacity building in the different areas of sustainable development 14

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22 may 2012 58 we recognize the power of communications technologies including connection technologies and innovative applications to promote knowledge exchange and capacity building for a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication these technologies and applications build capacity enable the sharing of experiences and knowledge in the different areas of sustainable development foster transparency and accountability by governments and encourage and stimulate broader participation from a variety of stakeholders in producing and utilizing the open accurate and credible data required for sound scientifically-based policy making 59 we encourage all countries to design and implement policies related to a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication we support the creation of a capacity development scheme involving un agencies multilateral and bilateral donors and the private sector to provide country specific advice in accordance with national circumstances and priorities and assist developing countries in accessing available funds and technologies we support utilizing international platforms and partnerships that enable interested countries and major groups to share policy options and best practices provide country-specific advice and assist developing countries upon request in accessing available funds and technologies in this regard we acknowledge the ongoing efforts to create and launch platforms such as the green growth knowledge platform and we encourage relevant institutions the un system and stakeholders to join in this effort on a voluntary basis we further acknowledge that the capacity development scheme and these platforms should take fully into account the priority needs of developing countries be demand-driven and accountable voluntary established on mutually agreed terms respect national differences and priorities and include a toolboxes of good practices in applying green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication at all levels b sets of models or good examples of inclusive green economy strategies c voluntary mechanisms to promote development of and access to shared databases under mutually agreed terms that countries civil society and the private sector can use to assess and evaluate progress 15

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