ADVISORY: Governments, UN Agencies and Civil Society to Reveal Commitments on Governance at Rio+20

"Choosing Our Future" at Rio+20

On Tuesday, June 19, 2012, more than 300 representatives from governments, UN agencies, and civil society will gather to express their support for action and make commitments around open and transparent government and environmental issues.

The event will take place at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), Priaa de Botafogo, 190, in Rio de Janeiro. The opening plenary will take place from 8:20 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; followed immediately by a press conference from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Representatives will include Ambassador Jose Luis Balmaceda, head of the Chilean Delegation, and representatives from Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Peru, along with senior officials from two UN agencies, Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary, of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Sven Alkalaj, Executive Secretary, of the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and Manish Bapna, Interim President, World Resources Institute.

A number of other governments are expected to make voluntary commitments with regard to open government and sustainability, including representatives of Mexico City and an NGO representative of the Irish delegation.

Speakers at the press conference will include: Ambassador Jose Luis Balmaceda, Permanent Ambassador of Chile to the United Nations; Amina Mohamed, UNEP Deputy Executive Director and Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations; Manish Bapna, Interim President WRI; and Andrew Jackson, NGO representative on the Irish delegation

Additional speakers at the morning plenary, include:

Alf Jerve, Chair of the World Bank Inspection Panel;
Georghe Salaru, Minister of Environment, Republic of Moldova;
Pierre Arcand, Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, and Parks, Quebec, Canada;
Jonas Ebbesson, Chair of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee;
Ritwick Dutta, Legal Initiative for Forests and Environment;
Ambassador M. Jean-Pierre Thébault, Representative of France;
Murilo Nunes de Bustamante, Environmental Public Prosecutor, State of Rio de Janeiro

See the full agenda for the event, here: http://www.wri.org/event/2012/06/choosing-our-future-open-and-participatory-sustainable-development-governance

WHAT
Press conference to announce commitments for stronger governance at Rio+20

Twitter hashtag: #choosefuture

WHO
Ambassador Jose Luis Balmaceda, Permanent Ambassador of Chile to the United Nations
Amina Mohamed, UNEP Deputy Executive Director and Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations Manish Bapna, Interim President, WRI;
Andrew Jackson, NGO member of the Irish delegation

WHERE
Funacao Getulio Vargas (FGV), Priaa de Botafogo, 190, Rio de Janeiro

WHEN
Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Plenary session: 8:20 – 12:00 p.m.

Press conference: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.

Note: Additional photo opportunity with representatives from 30 different countries: 17:00 (5:00 p.m.)

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If you would like more information about the event and announcements, please contact Michael Oko; moko@wri.org; +55 (0) 21 8351 1349