	Overview

The United Nations (U.N.) Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or "Rio+20") will convene June 20-22, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference marks the 20 th anniversary of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio in 1992 and the 10 th anniversary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa. As many as 115 heads of state may attend, with up to 50,000 other participants. No legally binding agreements are expected to be made at the meeting. In 1992, governments attending the "Rio" conference (formally called the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development or UNCED) politically endorsed the objective of "sustainable development"—achieving economic, environmental, and social development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs ." Nonetheless, it is possible that some elements of any communique may serve U.S. national interests and foreign policy. Rio+20 is premised on analysis showing that the objectives of sustainable development of the 1992 Rio conference have not been achieved. The fifth Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-5, see section below) concluded in early June 2012 that significant progress has been made on only 4 of 90 assessed, internationally agreed goals associated with sustainable development. Nonetheless, the Rio+20 website indicates that "[g]overnments are expected to adopt clear and focused practical measures for implementing sustainable development, based on the many examples of success we have seen over the last 20 years." Framework Agreement on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of eight internationally agreed-to development goals created in 2000. Many participants and observers hope that Rio+20 outcomes will address the Rio+20 objectives in a Communique from high level officials, which may contain agreement to a process to produce new Sustainable Development Goals, and affirmation of—and a Framework for Action to implement—internationally agreed goals. Many stakeholders would like to strengthen the U.N. Others suggest that SDGs and post-2015 MDGs would be complementary. Priorities : While delegations appear to generally agree that priorities should be set among emergent SDGs, they diverge on what the priority areas should be. Many of these problems are most acute in rapidly developing but low-income countries that may lack adequate financial, institutional, and technical capacity to address them. Still, some views may be distilled from statements. As examples, the United States
agrees with strengthening international environmental institutions, but opposes adding a Council on Sustainable Development to the U.N. architecture or making UNEP a specialized agency of the United Nations; views the transfer of technology as outside the scope of sustainable development commitments; opposes discussion of intellectual property rights; opposes a call for a new agreement to protect biodiversity in the marine environment in the high seas (i.e., outside of national jurisdictions); opposes proposals for significant new funding for sustainable development; encourages actions toward sustainable development by stakeholders, especially women and youth; seeks greater emphasis globally on transparency and public awareness of corporate and governmental performance on environmental responsibilities, facilitated by new communication technologies; and resists commitments related to climate change or other issues addressed in other fora.
The United Nations (U.N.) Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD or "Rio+20") convenes June 20-22, 2012, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This conference marks the 20th anniversary of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio in 1992. Governments participating in the 1992 meeting politically endorsed the objective of "sustainable development" as achieving economic, environmental, and social development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Rio+20 begins from the premise and findings that the objectives of the 1992 Rio conference have not been achieved. The U.N.'s fifth Global Environmental Outlook, published in June 2012, found significant progress toward only 4 of 90 internationally agreed goals associated with sustainable development. It found back-tracking on 8 goals. Stakeholders widely agree that changes in policies and institutions are desirable to improve implementation, but do not agree on means. It seems unlikely that Rio+20 will produce any agreements that would require congressional action or be legally binding. Some proceedings, however, may engender congressional interest in concepts proposed for simultaneously achieving economic, social, and environmental objectives. Rio+20 could influence views and actions internationally on development paths and practices, thereby affecting regional and global economies, demand for development aid, transnational environmental issues, and conflict incidence and resolution. Therefore, Congress may take interest in the conference. In addition, proceedings may reference the non-binding Agenda 21 produced at UNCED in 1992; media coverage could raise questions from constituents that Members may wish to address.
The Rio+20 organizers indicate that "[g]overnments are expected to adopt clear and focused practical measures for implementing sustainable development, based on the many examples of success we have seen over the last 20 years." However, with strongly divergent views among the expected 115 Heads of State and up to 50,000 participants, Rio+20 may be more like a trade show than political negotiations. Indeed, some observers suggest that the conference may yield many deals among private participants. It is not expected to produce a treaty or any other binding commitments of national governments. Some observers wonder whether a meaningful communique can be successfully negotiated. High-level participants will be prompted to address issues that include
the definition of "green economy," and whether a definition gives adequate emphasis to social aspects (e.g., "fairness") of sustainable development; whether "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs) should replace or supplement the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), agreed by the U.N. General Assembly in 2000 and expected to end in 2015, as well as how SDGs might be negotiated, and what priorities might be set among them; how to reform international environmental institutions, particularly whether the United Nations Environmental Program should be strengthened; what actions, if any, might lead to improved implementation of existing sustainable development goals, given slow progress so far; whether governments may commit to greater financial and technological assistance to low-income countries to support their sustainable development.