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United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
13-22 June 2012 (including preparatory events)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20, will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012 – twenty years after the historic 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in the same city.

The Rio+20 Conference is a joint endeavour of the entire UN System, and will bring together heads of state, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups. Its main objective is to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development.

ITC’s role is to highlight the importance of trade in promoting sustainable development. This will be achieved through a number of side events and discussions where ITC will share its experience from the field in delivering trade-related technical assistance, highlighting key successes in delivering export impact for good.

For further information on Rio+20 click here.

ITC @ Rio +20
Friday, 15 June 2012
9:30-11:00, RioCentro, T-3, Rio de Janeiro

Green Economy and Trade – Assessing Risks and Opportunities
Organized jointly with UNEP and ICTSD.

Further information can be found here.
No registration is needed for the event, but participants must be accredited.

Saturday, 16 June 2012
11:00-12:30, Windsor Barra Hotel, Rio de Janeiro

If Sustainability was a Business How Would it be Run?
Global launch of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment.
Part of the UN Global Compact's Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum.

Sunday, 17 June 2012
14:00-17:30, Windsor Barra Hotel, Rio de Janeiro

Good Business Models for a Sustainable Future
As part of the UN Global Compact’s Rio+20 Corporate Sustainability Forum.

Review the webcast of this event

View photo gallery

Monday, 18 June 2012
8:30-18:00, Hotel Othon, Rio de Janeiro

Rio+20 Dialogue on Green Trade Opportunities
Organized jointly with UNEP and ICTSD.

Further information can be found here.
To register for the event, click here.

Monday, 18 June 2012
17:15-18:15. Novo Mundo Hotel, Praia do Flamingo 20, Rio de Janeiro.

Trade Opportunities for Biodiversity-Based Business
Organized jointly with PromPeru, Phytotrade Africa, and the Union of Ethical Biotrade as part of the UNCTAD BioTrade Day.

Further information can be found here.

Tuesday, 19 June 2012
8:30-18:00. Hotel Othon, Rio de Janeiro.

Sustainability Standards: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries
Organized jointly with the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) as part of the ICTSD Symposium on Trade and Sustainable Development.

To register for the event, click here.

Highlights

22.06.2012
ITC's Rio+20 events put spotlight on green opportunities
ITC’s Trade and Environment team helps explore what green economy means for trade by identifying challenges and opportunities for developing countries.
18.06.2012
Ethical Fashion Initiative and Instituto-e to develop new product capacities
ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative will join forces with Instituto-e, a Rio-based civil-society group, to develop sustainable materials and products for fashion and lifestyle brands.
12.06.2012
How can standards help promote transition to a green economy?
ITC and the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) will contribute to the dialogue on the role for trade and standards in promoting sustainable development at this month’s Rio+20 Conference.
12.06.2012
Experts to showcase business models that do good while making a profit
Businesses do not have to choose between profits and contributing to inclusive growth. ITC, at an event to be held within the framework of Rio+20, will demonstrate this through business models which turn a profit while also integrating marginalised communities in a sustainable way...
12.06.2012
Trade opportunities identified for developing countries moving toward green economy
There are many opportunities for developing countries to increase their trade in the transition to a green economy. ITC and its partners, at events to be held within the framework of Rio+20, will balance the debate on risks associated with moving towards a green economy with results of a study which demonstrates concrete examples of opportunities for trade...
12.06.2012
Importance of trade for inclusive and sustainable growth to be highlighted at Rio+20 events
There are new and innovative opportunities in trade for sustainable development and engaging in the green economy. ITC is highlighting some of the ways in which small businesses in developing countries can take advantage advantage of such opportunities at a series of events it is hosting within the framework of the Rio+20 conference in Brazil this month...
12.06.2012
Brazil’s catadores to voice their views at RIO+20
ITC’s Ethical Fashion Initiative invites 100 garbage collectors to its Good Business Models for a Sustainable Future event at the Corporate Sustainability Forum.
01.04.2012
Inclusiveness and sustainability in global trade
In June, world leaders will meet in Brazil for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). The conference aims to renew political commitment to sustainable development, assess progress on the implementation of agreements and outcomes of past...
01.04.2012
Environmental policy contributing to poverty eradication
When countries convene at this year’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, both the venue, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and the overall objective of the conference, sustainable development, will be the same as 20 years ago at the...
01.04.2012
Green Growth: an imperative of economic development
As the world recovers from the economic downturn that followed the 2008 financial crisis, it has become clear that industrial development models created in the past are increasingly unsustainable, both economically and environmentally. Economic progress...
01.04.2012
Sustainable results prove the power of inclusion
Export opportunities in global markets can spur growth and create jobs, but these opportunities are only sustainable if consideration is given to the environmental and social dimensions of trade development and the relationship between these and competitiveness....
30.03.2012
Product Carbon Footprinting - How to Guide
ITC has published a new technical paper on Product Carbon Footprinting Standards in the Agri-Food Sector. The paper aims to guide exporters of agricultural products through the process of product carbon footprinting (PCF) so as to make it easier for them to understand the processes involved, imporve their environmental performance and ultimately reduce the costs for their business.
30.03.2012
Workshop on Carbon and Water Standards for Trade in Agricultural Products in Kenya
December 8-9 2011, Naivasha Kenya
01.12.2011
Workshop: Carbon and Water Management in Horticultural Exports from East Africa. 8-9 December, Kenya
Exporters of horticultural products increasingly have to comply with buyers environmental requirements such as carbon and water standards. This can be particularly challenging for SMEs from developing countries in terms of costs of compliance but also time and effort for companies in learning about different methodologies. This workshop aims to address these concerns...