United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro - Rio2012, Rio+20

Twenty years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio (also known as Rio+20) resulted in a document containing clear and practical steps for implementing sustainable development. At the Conference, Member States decided to launch a process to develop a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), building on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and converging with the post-2015 development agenda. The Conference also adopted innovative guidelines on green economy policies and launched a strategy for financing sustainable development. The Rio+20 Conference captured the attention of thousands of people within the UN system and beyond. More than 700 voluntary commitments were announced, and the formation of new partnerships to promote sustainable development began.