As with the 1992 Earth Summit, Brazil once again set the ball rolling towards another historic Conference, Rio+20, with local and national launch ceremonies marking the one-year count-down. In New York, this special occasion was highlighted on 15 June with the screening of the animated movie Rio, attracting up to one thousand New Yorkers including children and their parents.

“Rio+20 is the occasion for reinvigorating the spirit of Rio and re-launching our world on the pathway to a sustainable future,” said Sha Zukang, DESA’s Under-Secretary-General and the Rio+20 Secretary General. “We think this film, in its own particular way, captures many of the themes that we are looking to address in Rio.”

The screening took place at UN Headquarters and was hosted by DESA and the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox.

In the beginning of June, Mr. Sha also led a small mission to participate in the ceremonies held in Rio de Janeiro. In his message at the national launch ceremony, hosted by President Dilma Roussef at the Palácio do Planalto on 7 June, he stressed that the “plus” in Rio+20 should also be a plus to political commitment, development partnership and action on the ground.

Mr. Sha also noted that “Rio+20 cannot provide immediate answers to all these problems. It can however give us the momentum for joint, collaborative action.”

Rio+20 will take place in Rio de Janeiro on 4-6 June 2012 and will have two main themes: “Achieving a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” and “The institutional framework for sustainable development”.

To stay updated on all matters related to Rio+20, visit the Conference website: http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/

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Read the interview with Secretary-General of Rio+20, Sha Zukang, featured in DESA News: “Leading the way to a sustainable future”