Prior to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, the Ministers of African States held a preparatory meeting to deliberate the objectives and themes of the conference and to determine a consensus for key priorities and concerns affecting Africa. The Consensus Statement addresses the state of development in Africa and reaffirms States’ commitment to sustainable development moving toward the Millennium Development Goals.
The Consensus Statement calls on the Rio+20 Summit to reinvigorate political will and international commitments to sustainable development. States acknowledge the progress of Africa since the 1992 Rio Summit and call for increased action in critical areas such as agricultural productivity, biotechnology research, and others. The Statement recognises new challenges to sustainable development, such as climate change and the energy crisis, but also notes the opportunities these challenges provide, such as spurring transition to a green economy. States urge the international community to accelerate support for the region and encourage concrete measures based on participation by major groups at all levels in order to successfully implement initiatives.
