Much hype surrounds the UN Conference on Sustainable Development: thousands will attend, including business and industry representatives, delegations of native peoples, the heads of state of about 130 countries, and countless civil society groups (including the I2UD, represented by Alejandra Mortarini). The objective of the Conference is for UN member states to craft an agreement that will set international environmental, economic, and human development policy for the next several years – in other words, a document that will chart the path towards global cooperation on sustainable development.
The Conference will focus on two themes: a green economy, and the institutional framework needed to achieve sustainable development. Previous rounds of negotiations have already produced a draft agreement; conference planners hope that official delegates will sign off on a final document by Friday. The agreement is complex and expansive as it attempts to create policy in seven diverse areas, including high seas, food security, and energy.
With such a broad range of issues, many disagreements persist over how best to move forward. Two of the most controversial arguments revolve around financing sustainable development programs and curbing consumption. Poorer, developing countries are demanding that wealthier nations – as recompense for contributing the lion’s share of humanity’s environmental footprint – finance sustainable development programs. Similarly, emerging economies are seeking clauses that curb wealthy nations consumption. According to the BBC, the draft document is only about 20% agreed upon – and that’s after several months of negotiations. The Conference is unlikely to produce the type of comprehensive agreement anybody wants, but the hope is that the global focus on cooperation, poverty alleviation, and the environment will spur a renewed spirit of compromise.