President Michael Higgins is not yet committed to attend Rio+20.
Does your country have a Rio+20 preparatory committee?
Ireland established a Rio+20 coordinating committee at the government level - led by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government - which involves all government departments. A public consultation with civil society stakeholders was carried out in 2011 and a report of its outcomes was submitted to the UN.
Has your country completed a sustainable development review?
Ireland is currently preparing such a review in the shape of a Framework for Sustainable Development for Ireland which will be published prior to Rio+20. This document is due to be published before the Rio Conference and will set out a framework to further advance sustainable development in Ireland and provide for the integration of sustainable development in all policy areas.
Is your country planning on announcing new initiatives at Rio?
As well as the Framework for Sustainable Development in Ireland, a guide on Green Public Procurement,"Green Tenders", was also published in Ireland this year.
What is your vision for success at Rio+20?
Ireland supports the overall EU position.
Improved governance in particular is a key issue along with the adoption of a roadmap toward a global Green Economy
Ireland would like to see action in relation to the issue of food and nutrition security.
What other major activities are happening in your country at the subnational, corporate, and civil society levels for Rio+20?
As part of a Stakeholder Consultation process the Department also invited input from environmental and development aid groups along with representatives of civil society, business, farm organizations, government departments, local authorities, semi-state bodies and individuals.
A seminar was also held in Dublin in October, 2011. The seminar was open to the public and speakers represented environmental, social and local authority interests, from an EU and Irish perspective. A report on the outputs from the consultation process, including the Seminar, was forwarded to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and is now available on the Rio+20 website.
References
Responses provided by a country delegate. For more information, visit the official Ireland page.
