Khar to represent Pakistan in RIO+20 conference

ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will represent Pakistan in three-day RIO+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development being held in Rio De Jeniro‚ Brazil from June 20-22, 2012.

According to Foreign Office, Minister for Climate Change Rana Muhammad Farooq will accompany Ms Khar to the conference.

Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani was scheduled to represent Pakistan in the RIO+20 UN Conference; however, sources said that Gilani canceled his visit due to the current political situation in the country.

During her visit, the Foreign Minister will have an opportunity to meet world leaders on the sidelines of the conference.

At the Rio+20 Conference World leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, will come together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) is being organized in pursuance of General Assembly Resolution 64/236 (A/RES/64/236), and will take place in Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro, and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable

The Conference will focus on two themes: (a) a green economy in the context of sustainable development poverty eradication; and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable development.

Whereas seven areas have been identified which need priority attention; these include decent jobs, energy, sustainable cities, food security and sustainable agriculture, water, oceans and disaster readiness.