Rio+20

In 1992, the governments of 172 countries met for a two-week-long United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, at Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The Summit resulted in several international instruments that have since served as the framework for sustainable development. These include Agenda 21, a global consensus document that provides a blueprint of action for governments to pursue not only economic growth, but also sustainable development, advances social equity and ensures environmental protection. Agenda 21 identified nine Major Groups whose participation and involvement is critical to the achievement of sustainable development. One of these is the Women’s Major Group (WMG) which DAWN is a part of, joining feminist and women’s organisations working to promote human rights-based sustainable development with a focus on women’s human rights, the empowerment of women and gender equality.

Two decades after the Earth Summit, the Rio+20 Conference reaffirmed the importance of effectively engaging all sectors of civil society. Its outcome document, titled “The Future We Want”, highlights the role that the Major Groups and other stakeholders must play in UN processes related to sustainable development, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).