( CNN ) -- I was happy to return to Rio , this beautiful city which I have visited several times . Twenty years after the first Earth Summit , I came to Rio , like many people from all over the world , to put the world on a different pathway -- one leading to sustainable development . But , the leaders gathered here came without an intergenerational vision and they failed to rise to the challenge ; they did not break their ties with the old ways of doing things -- ways that are proved to be unsustainable and inequitable . Read more : Five cities fighting for climate survival . If the government representatives had heard the heartfelt yearning for change , for a vision of the future that the broad base of men , women -- and even children -- shared during numerous side events , and in the Sustainable Development Dialogues organized by the Brazilian government , perhaps they would have given their negotiators a stronger mandate : A mandate to create the future we want and which the earth needs . Unfortunately these voices were not incorporated into the declaration text and many leave for home frustrated and angry . I urge those who are disappointed by the lack of urgency and commitment to channel their frustration positively to work on a parallel pathway to fill the gaps left by the Rio text and to deliver the futures we all need . More : Rio+20 summit must not ignore rapid population growth . I had the pleasure of participating in numerous events during the conference where we discussed the role of women 's empowerment in sustainable development , the importance of making real progress on food and nutrition security and the need to improve access to sustainable energy for the poorest . Underlying all of these discussions was the importance of upholding human rights and not backsliding on any existing commitments , while striving for a more equitable world . The Rio declaration does set some important processes in train , like developing Sustainable Development Goals , which address all three dimensions of sustainable development : Environmental , social and economic . These should be action oriented , aspirational and measurable , so that they complement the Millennium Development Goals . Likewise , processes have been established to strengthen environmental governance at the international level and to make progress on financing for sustainable development . Read more : 7 billion reasons to empower women . The current declaration reaffirms the Rio Principles and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . However , it worries me that negotiations revealed a desire by some to step back from established commitments and principles . The restating of these commitments is therefore considered a success , only because these principles and values were under threat . More seriously , the backsliding on reproductive rights -- first established in 1994 at the Cairo Conference on Population and Development and reiterated at the Beijing Women 's Conference -- is simply not acceptable , as highlighted by numerous women leaders in their statements to the Rio Summit . More : The elephant in the room at Rio summit . Arising from the failure of political leadership here in Rio , our hope is that people everywhere will accept that we all have to take responsibility and mobilize ourselves . Helped by social media and easier communication across the globe , we can make sure that the world we pass on to our children and grandchildren is safe , equitable , prosperous and sustainable . I was encouraged as I listened to many heads of state at the summit , who stressed their desire for a more concrete outcome . But this desire came too late : They should have engaged earlier in the process , they could have seized the moment and given stronger leadership . This possibility of a once in a generation moment passed us by and we will regret it . Happily the lack of political leadership was countered by the incredible vitality , determination and commitment of civil society -- from young people , women , trade unions , grassroots communities , faith-based organizations and the private sector . The legacy of Rio+20 will not just be the text of the Declaration hopefully it will be the mobilization of people to build the future they desire . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mary Robinson .
Mary Robinson : « La France a une Leaders failed to rise to the challenge of breaking ties with old ways of doing things , she says . Backsliding on reproductive rights is simply not acceptable , she says .