Building on the Millennium Development Goals

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 the implementation of 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 put in place a strategy for financing sustainable development.

Governments adopted a 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns. (A/CONF.216/5).

The Conference also took forward-looking decisions in a number of thematic areas, including energy, food security, oceans and cities, and decided to convene a third international conference on small island developing States in 2014.

The Rio+20 Conference caught the attention of thousands from the UN system and beyond. Over 700 voluntary commitments were announced and the formation of new partnerships to advance sustainable development were initiated.