The Rio+20 United
Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio de Janeiro on
20-22 June 2012 brought together world leaders, government officials, and civil
society and private sector representatives who sought the best ways to work
towards achieving a global ‘green economy’, poverty eradication and sustainable
development.

Long before the
conference even began, however, there was considerable pessimism that Rio+20
would amount to anything more than another elite talk-shop. The outcome of this
massive multilateral effort appears to vindicate this gloomy forecast. What did
Rio+20 achieve?

1. What Can NGOs like SI Do To Build Momentum

Several experts at
Rio+20 have argued that the most important outcome of Rio+20 is not a document
or treaty, but that it has catalysed a global
call to action, spearheaded by public
awareness of sustainable development and climate change issues and a desire
to make these priorities central to global thinking and action.

What Rio+20 achieved
was bringing attention to the fact that the path to a green economy lies at the national and local level. Public
and private stakeholders and civil society demonstrated a willingness to pursue
a more sustainable course, regardless of the outcomes of an international
agreement. In light of the conference’s deadlocks, the focus shifted away from
the vision of an international legal framework aiming to solve global environmental problems through global governance and
working towards the promotion of domestic and local action.

2. What can SI do to assist women and girls
to play a significant role in working towards sustainable development?

• Create
  awareness of what is sustainable development and promote education on
  sustainability among women and girls, especially in schools and poorer
  sections of local communities through Federations, Regions, Unions and
  Clubs.
• Mobilize
  technical assistance to improve productivity of women and girls in food
  production and income generation through diversification of livelihood
  systems to enable women to invest in environmental conservation and green
  technologies.
• Encourage women
  and girls to lobby their governments to increase their access to resources
  that enhance sustainable development. 
  SI will produce a post-Rio advocacy pack for members to use to
  lobby their respective governments to support women and girls in all
  aspects of sustainable development.  Watch this space!
• Challenge women
  and girls to take up leadership positions to influence policy and
  decision-making within their respective countries to promote and implement
  sustainable development.

• Educate and
  empower women and girls on their rights of access to clean energy, water
  and sanitation.
• Establish
  partnerships with funding agencies and foundations that carry out
  sustainable development education and empowerment programmes.

3. What
can SI’s network of over 3000 clubs in 125 countries do to work towards sustainable
development?

• The main purpose
  of the Major Groups in the UN processes is to lobby governments and other
  influential organisations on issues of sustainable development and ensure
  timely and transparent implementation. As such, since SI is a member of
  the women major group it is important for SI clubs to be actively engaged
  in sustainable development by incorporating their specific knowledge and
  practical know-how into national and local policy making. 
• Create awareness
  of the impact of sustainable development on women and girls at local
  community level.