Document for sustainable development drafted by negotiators from 194 countries

Negotiators of 194 countries have come out with a document for sustainable development, but missed the crucial point of funding and technology transfer by developed countries to help the developing and the poor nations embrace green development. This prompted India to express it was “a little disappointed” over a weak political commitment by developed countries for sustainable development.

India on Thursday expressed disappointment with the “weak” political will of developed countries to provide developing nations with enhanced means to implement objectives of Green Economy, which it said will also be a “green-wash” if the process is not democratised.

As around 100 world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gathered here for the Rio+20 Summit, India also firmly rejected unilateral measures and trade barriers under the guise of Green Economy, which was the buzz ahead of the deliberations here.

Differences galore over the commitments made at the Earth Summit

As the leaders met in a mountain-girdled Brazilian town for the crucial official round of discussions on the Rio+20 text, what was most noticeably missing was the kind of excitement that was witnessed two decades ago, when more than 172 governments, as many as 108 of them sending their heads of state, participated for the first-of-its-kind global awakening event. The developed nations are seen advising the developing nations to “look forward” and not to “look backwards,” to the promises made in 1992.

The document provides the full text of 53 pages final outcome document of Rio+20 Conference adopted on June 22, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, released during United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 Summit).

The document describes:

As climate change negotiators settle into their familiar roles at their first major meeting since COP 17 in Durban, South Africa, climate watchers will have their eyes fixed on the 14-25 May UNFCCC gathering in Bonn, Germany to see how the tenuous December deal - struck by sleep-deprived negotiators at the eleventh hour - is settling in six months on. With continued economic hardship among Annex I (developed) countries, this year's Bonn meeting will be a telling barometer for what to expect when parties meet in Doha this November for COP 18.

The Asia-Pacific region’s rapid growth since the 1950s had been supported by a favourable external economic environment and opportunities arising from globalization. This, however, has changed dramatically in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.

Developing countries in Asia, led by China and India, are among the fastest growing economies in the world today. Economic growth in the region in the coming 20 years will exceed the average level of world economy, boosting a continuous increase in primary energy demand.

Agricultural research and innovation has been a major source of agricultural growth in developing countries.

The Durban Climate Change Conference held last December 2011 had all the elements of a highly charged political drama: global leaders in a high-stakes game to save the world, the palatable tension over clashing interests, claims of sabotage and backdoor deals juxtaposed with impassioned demonstrations and panicky news blitzes, the climax into ne

Trade can have an important role to play in the mitigation of, and adaptation to climate change. The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) - are among those that have touched on this issue at various levels.

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