From Rio to Rio+20: an Assessment of the United Nations ‎Conference on Sustainable Development

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which was held in Rio de Janeiro in the Spring of 2012 with presence of high representatives of governments, international organizations and civil society was a turning point in the UN activities in economic, social and environmental areas. During this conference, the ways to implement the "Rio Declaration", the "Agenda 21" which was ratified in the UN Conference on Environment and Development named as the 'Earth Summit', and the rate of realization of the "Millennium Development Goals" and other international and regional conferences were discussed. The current challenges facing international community today were underlined and the appropriate mechanisms for future global cooperation were suggested. The agreements made on protection of different ecosystems and on attention to "Green Economy" are among the important developments in international environmental debates within the framework of sustainable development in Rio+20.