President Robert Mugabe has arrived in Brazil to attend the ongoing United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
Mugabe, who is being accompanied his wife Grace Mugabe; Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister, Francis Nhema; Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mbengegwi and other senior government officials, were welcomed at the Galeo International Airport by the Zimbabwean Ambassador to Brazil, Thomas Bvuma and senior Brazilian government officials.
Rio +20, a major international environmental conference underway in Brazil, provides an opportunity for the global community to renew its commitment to promote sustainable development and devise strategies of addressing challenges such as climate change.
For three days from June 20, many world leaders and thousands of people from all over the globe will meet in Rio de Janeiro in the hope of reaching an agreement on how to achieve sustainable development.
For three days from June 20, many world leaders and thousands of people from all over the globe will meet in Rio de Janeiro in the hope of reaching an agreement on how to achieve sustainable development.
It is hoped that the conference will produce or lay the groundwork for a set of sustainable development goals that can be adopted worldwide.
These will set targets for consumption and production and put in place a system of monitoring to ensure that the goals are met.
According to reports, countries are expected to sign up to 10 separate goals.
These could include a deal on protecting oceans, the establishment of a powerful global agency for the environment, financial support to encourage sustainability for poorer nations and the appointment of an ecological high commissioner.
Southern Africa, which has been preparing for the summit, agreed to be guided by the Africa Consensus Statement to Rio that was adopted by the Ministers of Environment and approved by the African Union Summit held early this year.
For Africa and Zimbabwe included, the position is very clear.
They are calls for developed countries to fulfil previous commitments and pledges to help Africa’s efforts in achieving sustainable development.
Africa also wants the conference to adopt concrete measures, supported by adequate means of implementation that would ensure accelerated implementation of sustainable development commitments.
In an interview, Environment and Natural Resources Management Minister, Francis Nhema said developing countries, which are the worst affected by climate change, expect the developed world to commit to the second Kyto Protocol on the reduction of green house gases since the first protocol expired.
The world is facing urgent global challenges ranging from access to energy, water and food, to climate change, overfishing, polluted oceans, and unemployment and widening inequalities.
The historic UN Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as Rio+20, is being held 20 years after a similar earth summit in the same city and is an opportunity for government leaders and thousands of other participants to map how the world adopts policies and measures that can promote prosperity and reduce poverty while ensuring environmental protection.
