The Rio process

The Rio Process

At the international level, the sustainable development agenda has been facilitated through the "Rio Process." This started with the Earth Summit or United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. The Earth Summit had a number of key outcomes including:

• Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC),
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD)
• Agenda 21 - Chapter 17G endorsed the special case of "Small Island Developing States" and provided the mandate for the development the Barbados Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (BPOA) in 1994.

In 2002, the United Nations again facilitated a World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), sometimes referred to as Rio+10 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The WSSD reviewed the implementation of Agenda 21 and agreed on the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPOI) as a means for implementing Agenda 21 and also the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The WSSD also saw a shift in the governance approach from a purely Government framework to a partnership framework that included Government, Non Government Organisations and other non state actors.

In 2005, Small island Developing States (SIDS) and their development partners met in Port Louis, Mauritius to review the implementation of the BPOA and endorsed the "Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States (MSI). The region carried out a further review in 2010 (Pacific MSI+5 Regional Report) to gauge how Pacific SIDS are progressing with the results of the implementation of BPOA and MSI.

In 2011, the United Nations provided a preparatory framework for Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to be held in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Pacific Islands Sub-region held its Pacific Preparatory Meeting in Apia, Samoa in July 2011 where they agreed on an Outcomes Document. Pacific Islands Delegations participated and contributed towards the Outcome Documents of the Asia-Pacific Regional Preparatory Meeting held in Seoul, Korea in October 2011 and the SIDS Intra-regional Meeting held in New York, USA in September, 2011.

What we do

Through the CROP Sustainable Development Working Group we work with our regional partners to assist our members to effectively engage in the Rio+20 process. SPREP is co-chair of the SDWG with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. We prepare technical and policy briefs for our members to assist them throughout the Rio+20 negotiation process. Post Rio+20 we will consider how to best implement the Rio+20 outcomes through the SPREP Strategic Plan.