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BEYOND RIO+20 AGENDA: WHAT IS NEXT?
Twenty years after the last Earth Summit, the city of Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil made history again as it hosted the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) tagged “Rio+20” on the 20th -22nd June 2012 organized by the Division for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The conference was organized under the major themes of green economy in the context of sustainable development: poverty eradication and the institutional framework for sustainable development with seven critical issues which includes decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness. According to a leading personality in the conference who said that “The Conference has become a very public event through side-events such as the sustainability dialogues involving hundreds of people” said the Director of the UN Information Centre in Brazil, Giancarlo Summa. “This is something very promising for the future because the sustainable development concept is getting stronger and people are using it as a future platform for social achievements.”
Over the past four days leading to the declarations of the Rio+20 Summit, UN System, the civil society experts, scientists and other major groups discussed with members of the public key issues linked to Rio+20, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, between 20-22 June. To strengthen cooperation and networking, Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM) represented at the Rio+20 conference by the NAAHM focal person of Nigeria Mr. Raymond Nyayiti Enoch supported by More and Better (M&B) organization summarized the activities and proceedings of the conference taking keen interest on the issued that focused on the Alliance mandate on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security.
One of the outstanding thing about the Rio+20 event is that World Leaders guided by the charter of the United Nations reiterated their commitment to the Rio+20 declarations and acting as global leader’s also re-enforced their commitment to sustainable development as seen deepened by the participation of the UN Secretary General himself, Head of Governments of several countries, ministers and parliamentarians and several civil society organizations major groups’ leaders who resolved to remove major barriers to development and redouble efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger and to ensure that human activities respect the earth’s ecosystems and life-support systems thus mainstreaming sustainable development in all aspects of the way human beings live pursuant to sustainable development, sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Another second most outstanding aspect of the Rio+20 Summit is the will, energy and human elements commitment the world over in raising voices on the world concept of sustainable development. The Peoples Summit and “Great March” around the city of Rio de Janeiro is an important and critical point of note in the Summit as exampled on Wednesday 20th of June, 2012. This summit is a new attempt by the United Nations in this new millennium to advance the commitment of States and the world community in the major transitions of the twenty-first century. Along this context of “People Summit” is the distinct voice of Women and Youth towards influencing Rio+20 Agenda cutting across, Agriculture and Food Security, Gender Mainstreaming, Environment, Participation in decision and policy making process, Water and Sanitation, Education and Training, Forest, Oceans Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy issues and entrepreneurial development in the context of benefits to Women and Youth in the emerging “Green Economy”.
The third and key strategic and qualitative aspect of the Summit is that of the representation of ideas and wealth of knowledge demonstrated by organizations all over the world so that all aspects of “Sustainable Development “ concept is pragmatic and all inclusive to ensure coherency in the out -come of the Rio+20 Agenda. These are constructive inputs towards shared values and perspectives on the UNCSD process in the next coming on what is expected to be seen happen.
The unfolding issues out of the Rio+20 Summit has a future implication for the Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM), the Regional Alliances, The Sub-Regional Alliances and the National Alliances as key strategic entity initiated by the FAO of the UN given the significant emphasis placed on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security as well as the role of Small Holders Farmers in the food production processes and the sustainability of the ecosystem. Speaking to Ms Sarah Cunningham of the ECOCIDE UK she said Ecosystem sustenance is key to the secured future. This therefore means that AAHM and its future engagement in the critical work of the UN systems on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security following up to the implementation process of the Rio+20 out -come is critical even as exemplified by the active participation of Mr. David Nabairro of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Food Security and Nutrition Coordination for the High Level Task Force and the Chair of the World Committee on Food Security (CFS) Mr. Yahaya Odiniran in the Rio+20 Summit indicates the role that AAHM is expected to play in the pursuance of its mandate.
Several participants interviewed towards the end of the conference, ranging from Business and Industry, Children and Youth, Farmers, Indigenous Peoples, Local Authorities
NGOs, Community, Women ,Workers and Trade Unions have different perception and understanding on the statement and conclusion of the summit implementation framework. In the words of Mr Adam Rankin of Fundaexpresion, Colombia and Ms Judy Lee of the Federation of World Peace and Love USA what “matter is that people are at the center-stage of the sustainable development concept and it’s the people that will make it while government makes the declarations”.
From whatever perspectives its viewed Rio+20 Summit holding in the city of Rio De Janeiro Brazil has come and gone with exchange of knowledge and experiences with new renewed commitment to report regularly on progress and challenges to human sustainable development process for the 21st century.
Raymond Enoch
Alliance Against Hunger And Malnutrition, Nigeria
