Sustainable Development 20 Years on from the Earth Summit: Progress, gaps and strategic guidelines for Latin America and the Caribbean

In December 2009 the General Assembly adopted resolution 64/236 and agreed to convene the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil in June 2012. This Conference, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro 20 years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, or the Earth Summit, represents a historic opportunity to take stock of developments over the past two decades, assess the progress made and the difficulties encountered and explore new forms of cooperation capable of expediting the transition towards sustainable development. The Member States have also agreed to analyse two main themes at the Conference: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.