Un Official Outlines Priorities Ahead Of Sustainable Development Summit

kristyGreen Prosperity

Un Official Outlines Priorities Ahead Of Sustainable Development Summit
New York, Feb 9 2012 7:05PM
A senior United Nations official today outlined a set of priorities that
Member States should tackle ahead of the Sustainable Development Conference
(Rio+20) in June so that there is a clear framework of action during the
event.

“Rio+20 should lead to better coherence, integration and implementation in
our development efforts,” Sha Zukang, Secretary-General of the conference,
told participants at a panel discussing the role of development cooperation
to enhance sustainable development.

The panel was held at UN Headquarters in New York as part of the Development
Cooperation Forum.

Mr. Zukang outlined seven priority areas that have been agreed by Member
States and stakeholders that will help guide the creation of a framework to
advance green economies. They include poverty eradication and green jobs,
energy, water, food security, urbanization, disasters, oceans and seas, as
well as climate change and biodiversity.

Mr. Zukang, who is also the UN’s Under-Secretary General for Economic and
Social Affairs, emphasized that during informal discussions on the initial
draft of the Rio+20 outcome document, there had been a strong call to
strengthen south-south cooperation so countries can share the lessons
they’ve learned in the seven key aspects.

He also stressed that development cooperation programmes should be driven by
recipient countries taking into account their priorities and specific
national circumstances.

“Rio+20 is an opportunity for reinvigorating development cooperation,” Mr.
Zukang said. “Now is the time for an in-depth discussion on how it can
better support green growth and sustainable development,” he added.
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For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news