Meio Ambiente

The Brazilian government has created a National Commission to discuss the country's participation in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), to be held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012. The Commission will be chaired by the Ministers of External Relations and of the Environment, and should promote a broad and inclusive dialogue between federal, state and municipal authorities and the civil society.

The Rio+20 seeks to renew the commitment of world leaders with the planet's sustainable development in its three pillars (social, economic and environmental), and assess the implementation and progress of the commitments undertaken by the international community. The conference will discuss two major themes: the 'green economy' in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.

In a ceremony in Brasília, President Dilma Rousseff stressed that Rio+20 should "offer a 'dialogue' with the future in order to chart a sustainable path for the seven billion human beings on the planet".

President Rousseff stressed that economic growth, social inclusion and respect for the environment are inseparable, and mentioned as an example the program 'Brasil sem Miséria', which should take 16 million Brazilians out of extreme poverty and ensure income to populations in areas of environmental preservation. The Brazilian President also emphasized her government's commitment to fight deforestation in the Amazon.

In addition to the National Commission, Brazil created a Rio+20 National Committee, which will be responsible for the planning, resource management and procurement and all other actions necessary to the organization of the Conference.