Rio+20 could have done better, but the road from Rio is as important as the road to Rio

Negotiations have been tough but there is a deal and an agreement – and that is a good thing! Overall, the EU civil society representatives from the EESC are pleased that the green economy has been included in the agreement as the main conduit to sustainable development and welcome the introduction of sustainable development goals and a range of provisions intended to strengthen international sustainable development governance.

The agreement that has been negotiated opens up new avenues for further development and will see improved sustainable development in a number of areas. However we regret that the agreement lacks ambitious and action- oriented decisions. The Rio+20 outcome document, agreed by negotiators and to be approved by world leaders meeting this week in Rio, acknowledges many of the world’s needs but does not reflect the urgency of the situation. While the outcome text recognises the role of businesses and civil society stakeholders, there are no new established mechanisms to ensure effective civil society participation in the transition process towards sustainable development.

“The road from Rio is as important as the road to Rio. From now on, we are in implementation mode. The EESC will continue to act on the Rio+20 follow-up within the EU and with its non-EU partners, in order to promote, facilitate and enable civil society input into policy- and decision-making processes so that we can really achieve the future we want,” said Staffan Nilsson, EESC president. We urge the EU and all other parties to involve the EESC and other social and economic councils and similar civil society structures in the Rio+20 follow-up that is designed to secure the transition towards a new green economic order.

As an EU advisory body, feeding into and supporting the EU’s input and position in the negotiations, we appreciate the EU negotiators’ efforts to push for ambitious targets and to secure a real deal, rather than a mere statement of intent, at the Rio+20 conference. However we ask the EU to stick to its internal commitments and to keep pressing home the argument in its dealings with its partners. For more information: EESC Rio+20 Online Platform The EESC messages to Rio+20 Video messages