For information only - not an official document
UNIS/INF/440
10 April 2012
Government, business leaders and activists to converge in Rio in June at UN global gathering to advance action for a sustainable future
WHAT
Rio +20: UN Conference on Sustainable Development
At Rio+20, world leaders, CEOs and civil society are expected to take decisions, announce commitments and galvanize action on how we can reduce poverty and inequality and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet.
In official negotiations, statements and round tables, and at over a thousand special events, government, business and NGO leaders are expected to set the sustainability agenda for the next 20 years, towards identifying solutions and goals to tackle urgent global challenges, such as lack of access to energy and clean water, depleted oceans, food insecurity, widening inequalities and rapidly expanding cities. They will also decide ways to boost corporate sustainability, create green jobs, advance the role of science and innovation, close technological gaps, generate needed financing and improve mechanisms for international cooperation.
WHO
More than 100 presidents and prime ministers, as well as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Conference Secretary-General Sha Zukang, will be joined by thousands of business CEOs, parliamentarians, mayors, NGO leaders, academics, senior UN officials and representatives from many other groups at Rio+20. Over 50,000 people are expected to participate in the Conference and related events in Rio de Janeiro during that period.
WHEN
KEY MEDIA EVENTS AT A GLANCE
23 April - 4 May - Negotiations for the outcome of Rio+20 (New York)
13-15 June - Final negotiations for the outcome of Rio+20 (Rio)
13-22 June - Global Town Hall: Mayors and local government officials from around the world will address how they can best contribute to targets for protecting global common goods.
15-18 June - Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum: More than 2,000 business leaders, academics and civil society representatives will showcase innovative solutions to sustainable development challenges and announce new commitments to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability practices.
15-23 June - People's Summit for Social and Environmental Justice: Mobilized by 150 organizations and social movements, thousands of citizens will make their voices heard and urge governments to give political power to Rio+20.
16-19 June - Global Sustainability Dialogues: Nine high-profile events over four days, organized by the Government of Brazil, will engage civil society and leading experts to seek innovative solutions on global sustainability issues.
20-22 June - Rio+20: UN Conference on Sustainable Development
WHERE
Official events will be held at Riocentro Convention Center, Barra da Tijuca, with other events taking place throughout Rio de Janeiro.
Below is a summary of information members of the media may need to know when making their plans to cover Rio+20.
Media accreditation
The deadline for media accreditation is 14 May 2012.
Media accreditation is strictly reserved for members of the press: print, photo, radio, television, film, news agencies and online media who represent a bona fide media organization (full guidelines as well as accreditation forms are available at http://www.un.org/en/media/accreditation/request.shtml ). Accreditation will be granted upon presentation of the following documents:
Media may pick up their badges starting from Thursday, 7 June 2012, in the Accreditation Centre located in Pavilion 1 of the Riocentro Convention Center. For more details see http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/registrationnewsandmedia.html#registration
Accommodation
Accommodation levels in Rio de Janeiro are anticipated to be at full occupancy during the conference. While it is not the responsibility of the United Nations to procure accommodation for the media, it should be noted that the Brazilian national organizing committee for Rio+20 has committed to blocking a minimum of 500 hotel rooms in Rio de Janeiro for media covering the conference. The arrangements for requesting those rooms are expected to be announced soon. Costs must be covered by the media. For more details, visit: http://www.rio20.gov.br
Visa requirements
A visa for entry into Brazil may be required. Participants are strongly advised to seek information on requirements applicable in their case from Brazilian diplomatic or consular missions in their home countries. A list of the Brazilian diplomatic and consular missions can be obtained at: http://www.itamaraty.gov.br/o-ministerio/o-brasil-noexterior . Where a visa is required, applicants are strongly advised to apply as early as possible. (Please note, however, that visas for citizens of certain countries must be used within 90 days of the issuance date.)
Transport
The Riocentro Convention Center is situated in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, approximately 50 minutes by freeway from the center of Rio de Janeiro and a 40-minute drive from Rio de Janeiro International Airport. The Convention Center consists of five Pavilions, all of which will be in use during the Conference. For more details on the Convention Center's location and transport options, please visit: http://www.riocentro.com.br/ More details on possible shuttle buses to Rio+20 and other details will be provided as they become available.
Media Centre
A Media Centre for the use of all journalists accredited to cover the Conference will be located in Pavilion 3 of the Riocentro Convention Center. The Media Centre will be equipped with appropriate electrical power outlets for personal laptop computers, telephones, fax facilities and closed-circuit television. Staff from the UN Department of Public Information will be on hand to provide information, respond to queries and interview requests, and print out statements and documents on demand.
There may be limited seating available for print media in the plenary hall, as well as limited space for TV, photo and official delegation media representatives. The main meetings, round tables, press conferences and other activities will be broadcast live into the Media Centre. There will also be overflow rooms when certain meetings reach capacity.
Press conference A full schedule of press conferences will be organized by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Conference, including regular briefings by the Spokesperson. The main briefing room will be in the Media Centre, with smaller briefing rooms in other locations. A schedule of press briefings will be posted in advance on-line and a media alert will be sent out by e-mail each evening for the following day, with updates as needed.
Multi-media The UN Department of Public Information will provide comprehensive TV, radio, photo, print and Internet coverage of the official plenary statements, round-tables and press conferences at Rio Centro.
Webcasting All plenary statements, round-tables, press conferences and some side events held within Riocentro will be webcast.
Website Multi-media coverage and webcasts will be posted on the official Rio+20 website at: http://www.uncsd2012.org. Multilingual press materials will be available at: http://www.un.org/futurewewant.
Broadcast Audio-visual and sound feeds of the main meetings, round-tables, press conferences and other events will be provided to broadcasters live, with free plug-in recording facilities.
International Broadcast Centre More information on commercial providers for satellite uplinks and other services will be issued when available.
Digital Media Lounge An area for use by bloggers without media credentials will be made available and staffed in the NGO and "major groups" area. It will be equipped with desks with plug-ins for laptops and a video camera in a small glass studio. A line-up of possible interviews will be organized.
Social Media: The United Nations will tweet from the @UN and @UN_Rioplus20 Twitter accounts, with the hashtags #rioplus20 and #futurewewant
Rio +20: a PaperSmart Conference
The UN is putting sustainable development into practice at Rio+20 through its PaperSmart initiative, to minimize paper use and the conference's overall carbon footprint by encouraging use of digital documents and resources whenever possible. Official documents, statements, press releases and the conference press kit will only be made available digitally. In addition, services will be provided to facilitate the transfer of documents to mobile devices of delegates and participants. There will be extremely limited print-on demand services when needed. Media covering Rio+20 on-site should carry their laptops or mobile devices including eReaders. Accredited press will receive media alerts and advisories by e-mail.
Key Media Events
The latest listing of key events to take place during Rio+20 at the official conference site can be found at: http://www.uncsd2012.org
20-22 June: Rio+20: UN Conference on Sustainable Development
The opening session of the Conference will begin on Wednesday, 20 June 2012, at 10am. The high-level opening ceremony -- with statements by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil -- will begin at 3 pm that day.
Statements by heads of each government delegation and selected representatives from civil society will continue in the plenary for the three days of the Conference. The webcast and text of each statement can be found on the conference website. Press can be seated in the gallery on a ticketed basis, and visual media can be escorted to cover particular speakers. The schedule of speakers is not posted on-line but can be e-mailed on request when available.
Four high-level round-tables will be held in parallel with the plenary statements, starting at 4:30pm on 20 June. These will be televised and webcast, but there will be no press seating in the room, and no set speaking order.
There will be dozens of special events and unofficial meetings taking place at Riocentro parallel to the conference, including a partnership forum and learning centres, as well as special events. Further details on these events and other key meetings will be posted to the official Rio+20 Conference website as they develop.
13-15 June: Final negotiating session for Rio+20
Government representatives will hold a third and final preparatory meeting ahead of Rio+20 to conclude key negotiations on agreements to be adopted at the conference. Press access is limited, but media briefings will be held to update on progress.
Media briefing for journalists covering Rio+20 (TBC)
UN officials and experts will provide media with background on the key issues for decision at the conference, as well as a preview of events and commitments expected to be announced. Information will be shared on logistics, arranging interviews, press conferences, where to find press materials, statements and documents, and much more. Details to come..
Below is a selected list of events ahead of and during Rio+20, outside of official negotiations :
8-12 June: Youth Blast
Organized by the Rio+20 Major Group of Children and Youth, as the official young people's event for Rio+20, the Youth Blast will aim to empower children and youth present at Rio+20; offer leadership training; and provide a space for young people to share best practices for implementing solutions and participating in decision-making at the international level.
Website: http://uncsdchildrenyouth.org/rio20/youth-blast/
Contact: saba[at]rioplus20s.org
11-12 June: TEDxRio+20
In partnership with the UN, TEDxRio+20 will bring together a wide-range of knowledge and ideas to help us understand and analyze the extent of human impact on our planet, and to recognize and refine our capacity to construct a new reality through sustainable development.
Website: http://www.tedxrio20.com/
Contact: marconi.pereira[at]gmail.com
11-15 June: Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development
This Forum will host interdisciplinary scientific discussions and dialogue between scientists, policy-makers, major groups and other stakeholders.
Contact: Maureen Brennan, tel. +33 (0) 1 4525 0677, Maureen.Brennan[at]icsu.org
13 to 22 June: Rio Conventions Pavilion
Convened by the Secretariats of the three global environmental agreements that came out of the 1992 Earth Summit -- the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention to Combat Desertification and the UN Convention on Biodiversity , along with the Global Environment Facility and other partners -- the Pavilion will hold a two-week programme of events and activities and feature a retrospective exhibit, showing the contribution of these treaties to sustainable development. Presentations will focus on themes including oceans, cities, the green economy, gender and development.
Website: http://www.riopavilion.org/
Contact: David Ainsworth, tel. +1 514 287 7025, david.ainsworth[at]cbd.int
13-22 June: Global Town Hall
Organized by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Global Town Hall will address how to "green" the urban economy, and how local governments can best contribute to targets for protecting global common goods and improve global and local governance systems.
Website: http://local2012.iclei.org/iclei-and-rio-20/rio-20-global-town-hall/
Contact: Francesca Schraffl, Rio+20 Global Town Hall coordinator, tel. +49 228-976 299 50, francesca.schraffl[at]iclei.org
15-18 June: Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum - Innovation and Collaboration for the Future We Want
The Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum (CSF) seeks to bring greater scale and quality to corporate sustainability and to produce a significant number of corporate commitments to advance sustainable development around the world. With 2,000 CEOs and other participants expected, and an ambitious agenda focused on scalable innovation and transformative partnerships, the Forum will be an impressive showcase of business action and leadership in support of the Rio+20 agenda.
Website: http://www.compact4rio.org
Contact: Matthias Stausberg, UN Global Compact, Tel. +1-917-367-3423, stausberg[at]un.org / media[at]unglobalcompact.org
15-23 June: People's Summit for Social and Environmental Justice
Organized by over 150 groups and social movements from various countries, the People's Summit will urge governments to give political power to the Rio+20 Conference and implement its decisions.
Website: http://rio20.net/en/
Contact: Mauricio Thuswohl, tel. +55 21 2268-8972 / 8448-1213, Márcia Ony Malu Machado tel. +55 21 22924121 / 22924123, Tania Coelho tel. +55 21 81818616, Group email: media[at]forums.rio20.net
16-19 June: Global Sustainability Dialogues
The Government of Brazil is organizing four days of dialogue events at the Riocentro Convention Center, where up to 50,000 participants from civil society can connect and share ideas outside of the official UN programme. The aim is to generate innovative proposals for how sustainability can be applied to a range of issues, including: food security, poverty eradication, the economic crisis, sustainable energy for all; water; oceans; sustainable consumption and production; innovation and sustainable cities; unemployment, green jobs and migration.
Website: http://www.rio20.gov.br
17-19 June: The World Congress on Justice, Governance and Law for Environmental Sustainability
Organized by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this event will bring together Chief Justices and senior judges, Attorneys-General and Public Prosecutors involved in the interpretation and enforcement of law, and Auditors-General whose work will focus on governance and accountability issues on the role of law in promoting the goals of sustainable development.
Website: http://www.unep.org/dec/worldcongress/index.asp
Contact: Jacob Duer, tel. +254-20-7624, Jacob.Duer[at]unep.org
17-19 June: Parliamentary World Summit of Legislators
Organized by GLOBE International (Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment), this first-ever world summit of legislators will aim to drive international commitments into national legislation and also scrutinize the delivery of the commitments that governments make.
Website: http://www.globeinternational.info/2011/rio-2012-globe-to-host-1st-world-summit-of-legislators/
Contact: Adam Matthews, tel. +44 (0) 20 7222 6955, adam.matthews[at]globeinternational.org
18 June: Special Open Events on Sustainable Cities
UN-Habitat and the City of Rio are organizing a range of events and conferences addressed to the general public and media to discuss challenges and opportunities of urban areas in the 21st Century. The aim is to generate debate, to gather innovative proposals and to achieve a sustainable approach to all aspects of rapid urbanization.
The Special Open Events on Sustainable Cities will culminate with the official launch of the "I`m a City Changer" initiative - a global movement to raise awareness about positive actions that have demonstrated impacts on people`s lives in urban areas.
Where: Forte de Copacabana. Accreditation will be required. Website:- www.unhabitat.org
Contact: Ana Moreno, tel. +254 20 762 3065. ana.moreno[at]unhabitat.org
19 June: Rio+Social
A first-of-its kind technology and social media conversation focused on global issues related to sustainability and our planet's future, the Rio+Social event will bring together the most innovative young players with the most influential public voices to discuss how technology can be used to create change that is citizen-powered and digitally inspired. Rio+Social will ensure, via an extensive digital broadcast, that journalists, young activists and social networks everywhere have a voice and a call to action on sustainable development. Organized by the UN Foundation with partners Ericsson, Mashable and the 92 nd Street Y.
Website: www.unfoundation.org
Contact: Robb Skinner, tel. +1 212-697-3315, rskinner[at]unfoundation.org
19-21 June: Women Leaders' Forum: Gender Equality, Women's Empowerment and Sustainable Development
Organized by UN Women and the Government of Brazil, the Forum will gather women Heads of State and Government and other women leaders and proponents of gender equality. The Forum will culminate in a Summit on 21 June where leaders are expected to make a Call to Action to elevate women's vital contribution to realizing sustainable development as well as benefiting from it.
Website: http://www.unwomen.org
Contact: Oisika Chakrabarti, tel. +1 646-781-4522, oisika.chakrabarti[at]unwomen.org
21 June: Special Event on the UN Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All Initiative
Key multi-stakeholder commitments are expected to be announced at this special event showcasing energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions with participation by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and co-chairs Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General, UN Industrial Development Organization, and Chad Holliday, Chairman of Bank of America, along with other leaders from government, the private sector and civil society.
Website: http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/
Contact: Cynthia Scharf, tel. +1 212-963-1016, scharfc[at]un.org
21 June: Special Event on the Report of the UN Secretary-General's Global Sustainability Panel
Members of the High-level Panel on Global Sustainability will present the main recommendations they made in their report to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will join the event. The recommendations are expected to play an important role in building consensus on decisions at Rio+20 and beyond.
Website: http://www.un.org/gsp/
Contact: Georgios Kostakos, tel. +1 212-963-1466, Kostakos[at]un.org
* *** *
Media Contacts
Rio +20 Spokesperson's Team
New York (until 8 June):
Pragati
Pascale, pascale[at]un.org, tel. +1 212-963-6870
Dan
Shepard, shepard[at]un.org, tel +1 212-963-9495
Wynne
Boelt, boelt[at]un.org, tel. +1 212-963-8264
Morana
Song, songm[at]un.org, tel +1 212-963-2932
Newton
Kanhema, kanhema[at]un.org, tel. +1-212-963-5602
Rio de Janeiro:
Giancarlo
Summa, giancarlo.summa[at]unic.org
Valeria
Schilling, valeria.schilling[at]unic.org
Gustavo
Barreto de Campos, gustavo.barreto[at]unic.org, tel: +5521 2253 2211
Media accreditation and liaison:
Robin
Dellarocca, dellarocca[at]un.org, tel.+1 212-963-7165
UN Agency media contacts, including for arranging interviews, can be found at http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/504Rio20Conference_Contacts.pdf
NGO and Major Group media coordinator:
Michael
Strauss, earthmedia[at]gmail.com, tel +1 646-246-3585
For press materials, including updates to this advisory, see http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/newsandmedia.html or http://www.un.org/en/sustainablefuture/media.shtml
Issued by the UN Department of Public Information
