Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, was held 20-22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Our Recommendations for Rio+20:
- Integrate health and NCDs into existing and future sustainable development policies and frameworks
- Improve the social protection mechanisms, particularly access to universal health care, that will enable people to adequately prevent and control NCDs
- Reduce exposure to the modifiable risk factors through agricultural policies that ensure food security and prevent land degradation, urban planning and transport policies that promote healthy and active cities, and policies that reduce pollution and support access to clean energy
Outcomes of Rio+20:
The Zero Draft of the Rio+20 Outcome Document released in January 2012 contained only two broad references to public health and no mention of NCDs. As a direct result of joint advocacy, the final Outcome Document includes numerous references to the importance of health to sustainable development and recognition NCDs as a priority for sustainable development. This shift prompted WHO Director-General Margaret Chan to refer to Rio+20 as a “victory for health.” For more:
- The Future We Want – Official Rio+20 Outcome Document
- NCD Alliance Summary of the Rio+20 Outcome Document
- Update to the NCD Alliance CIG on 25 June 2012
Side events at Rio+20
In addition to campaigning for the inclusion of health and NCDs in the Outcome Document, the NCD Alliance also co-organized two side events at Rio+20:
“Health within the Green Economy: Multisectoral Frameworks for NCD Control & Sustainable Development”
Tuesday 19 June 2012 - 13:30-15:00
Venue: P3-E, RioCentro
Organized with the American Cancer Society, this panel utilized Rio+20 as a critical opportunity to discuss how multisectoral frameworks for sustainable development can help create environments that promote health and help prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs). There was a specific focus on three development challenges that link NCDs and sustainable development: nutrition, healthy cities, and tobacco control.
“Next Generation Living: Exploring integrated solutions to NCD prevention and sustainable development”
Thursday 21 June 2012 – 16:30- 19:00
Venue: Windsor Barra Hotel, Avenida Lucio Costa, 2630 – Barra da Tijuca
Organized with the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, the Global Health Council, Novo Nordisk and Sustainia, this event illustrated how preventing NCDs will enable sustainable development for present and future generations. Panelists and presenters highlighted specific co-beneficial solutions that can be implemented in the workplace, schools, and cities.
Click here to view the Next Generation Living Summary Document.
Other Comments on Rio +20 Outcomes:
Rio+20 Outcomes Document Summary-The Future We Want
Rio+20 and chronic diseases: a glass half-empty or half-full?
Relevant Articles:
From Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals
From the Earth Summit to Rio+20: integration of health and sustainable development
IDF Diabetes and Climate Change Policy Report
IDF Diabetes and Climate Change Interconnections
For further information, please click on the links below: