Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on Green Economy and Inclusive Growth

The 2011 Delhi Ministerial Dialogue on ‘Green Economy and Inclusive Growth’ will begin here from next Monday. The Government of India and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD Secretariat are jointly hosting it. The Delhi Dialogue aims to support the preparations for Rio+20 by providing a platform for international deliberations on opportunities for a green economy to reinforce countries’ poverty eradication and social development agendas, including enhancing food security and energy security of the poor. It is expected that a shared vision on these issues would be the main outcome of this Dialogue.

The Delhi Dialogue is a step forward in preparations for the UNCSD, also known as Rio+20, scheduled to take place in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims to provide a platform for international deliberations on the integration of green economy architecture and global challenges of poverty eradication, food security, and energy security. Eradicating poverty is an indispensible requirement for sustainable development. A major cause aggravating poverty is the unsustainable pattern of consumption and production. The Delhi Dialogue will be an opportunity for high level government officials and UN agencies to explore in depth the linkages of a green economy for poverty eradication and broad-based, inclusive growth. Integrating green economy strategies and policies into poverty eradication, food security and energy security is an imperative for sustainable development. The issues to be addressed include sustainable management of sectors like agriculture, industry, energy and transport, urgent adoption of sustainable lifestyles and consumption patterns through reduction in per capita ecological footprint, appropriate population policies, equity concerns, poverty eradication and developmental imperatives.

Government officials and delegates from 54 countries and 12 UN agencies are expected to attend it. Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, Minister of State for Environment and Forests (I/C) and Shri Vilas Rao Deshmukh, Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, along with Mr Sha Zukang, Secretary General, UNCSD will address the delegates at the inaugural. It is also expected that Dr. Maurice Strong, Dr. Martin Khor, Executive Director, South Centre, Mr. Steven Stone, Dr. R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI, Dr. M S Swaminathan, Chairman, MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Dr. Ashok Khosla, President, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dr. Kirit Parikh, former member, Planning Commission, and other international speakers will address the conference.

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KP