UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (KUNA) -- Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Nassir A. Al-Nasser on Tuesday sounded the alarm saying the upcoming Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Brazil next month will be a unique opportunity to fundamentally rethink the current economic model and introduce new tools such as green economy policies and strategies.
Addressing a General Assembly Thematic debate "The Road to Rio+20 and Beyond" in preparation for that UN Conference which will be held in Rio de Janeiro June 20-22, Ban said "we are one month from a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform ideas and aspirations into bold action for sustainable development".
"One month from seizing our chance to scale-up the policies and solutions that we know deliver profound results. One month from building the future we want ... a future made to last ... a future of greater prosperity and equitable growth on a healthy planet for ourselves and our succeeding generations," he said.
He expressed regret that the current pace of negotiations is sending all the wrong signals. "We cannot let a microscopic examination of text blind us to the big picture. We do not have a moment to waste ... The world is watching. The media are focused. People - young and old - are demanding action".
He called for ambitious leadership. "It is time for us to focus on what really matters. It is time for common ground, for the sake of our planet and our children".
Assembly President Al-Nasser of Qatar also told the preparatory meeting that "there are differing opinions on how best to achieve our goals. But there is one thing we all agree on: We agree that now is the time to fulfill our dream - and our obligations - of ensuring a better future for all".
He said Member States "must focus on finding a balance between ensuring basic development needs and protecting the environment. Traditional knowledge, and scientific and technologic innovation, can help us to find concrete answers to our sustainable development questions".
He encouraged Member States to end the negotiations in a timely manner, in order for Heads of State and Government to come to Rio prepared and ready to sign up to a "forward-looking, action-oriented" document.
He also urged them to concentrate their efforts on "must haves" as opposed to "nice to have." He also stressed the need to talk to each other as much as possible, and to listen to the concerns of the friends and neighbors. "What we agree on must change lives and protect our planet. Our planet and its peoples are counting on us". (end) sj.bs KUNA 222049 May 12NNNN