RIO, FRIDAY 15th-SUNDAY 17th JUNE

“It is not that leaders committed to the wrong objectives at Rio 20 years ago.  Instead, the major problem has been the failure of Governments to implement properly their commitments. The World Summit of Legislators will address three critical omissions of the 1992 process in order to make Rio+20 a much greater success”.

Lord Deben, Former UK Secretary of State for the Environment and President of  GLOBE International, and Senator Cicero Lucena, First Secretary of the Brazilian Senate and President of GLOBE Brazil

Top-line points

·        1st World Summit of Legislators runs from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th in Rio.

·        Over 300 senior legislators from across the world will be attending (including 40 Presidents of Congresses and Speakers of Parliaments, and Chairs of Parliamentary Committees from 86 countries).

·        The World Summit of Legislators, supported by the UN and the Government of Brazil, begins a major new process for legislators dedicated to establishing a mechanism for scrutinising and monitoring governments on delivery of the original Rio agenda; progress within the UN Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification; as well as commitments to emerge from Rio+20.

·        The World Summit of Legislators has three objectives to address three critical omissions since the 1992 Earth Summit: scrutiny, legislation and natural capital.

·        Scrutiny:  establishing a mechanism at the international level to monitor implementation of Rio commitments by governments.  

·        Legislation: providing a platform to advance laws and share good legislative practice to underpin the Rio commitments.

·        Natural capital: incorporating natural capital into government accounting.  

·        Participating legislators will negotiate the Rio+20 Legislators’ Protocol, intended to be ratified in participating parliaments following the Summit.  

·        The World Legislators Summit will reconvene in Rio biennially (and between the Summits have specific policy processes which will be supported to share best legislative practice and drive national legislation).

Background

Scrutiny, legislation and natural capital:  three key omissions since 1992

·        Scrutiny:  Establishing a mechanism at the international level to monitor implementation of Rio commitments by government

There has been a lack of credible and independent international scrutiny to monitor delivery since 1992.  Reflecting this, and recognising the role of legislators in monitoring and scrutinising the work of government, the World Summit of Legislators will establish a mechanism at the international level to monitor implementation of commitments by governments made at Rio+20, including a set of Rio Scrutiny Principles in order to strengthen legislators’ capacity to hold governments to account.

·        Legislation: Providing a platform to advance laws and share good legislative practice to underpin the Rio commitments

 Recognising the role of legislators in developing and passing laws, the Summit will provide a platform to advance and share best legislative practice as well as to promote a mechanism within international processes that can recognise national legislation.

·        Natural Capital: Incorporating valuation of natural capital into government accounting

Recognising the role of parliaments to approve budgets and national accounts, the Summit will examine how the value of natural capital can be integrated within national economic frameworks to enable legislators to better monitor the use of natural capital.

Key partners

The United Nations, the Government of Brazil, the Congress & Senate of Brazil, the Mayor of Rio, the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the UN Environment Programme, UN Development Programme and the three Convention Secretaries on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification and the Com+ Alliance of communication networks have all supported the World Summit of Legislators and will be working with (Global Legislators Organisation (GLOBE) to advance this initiative.

GLOBE Opening press release
 
Further Information: The World Summit of Legislators is organised by the Global Legislators Organisation(GLOBE).  For further information, please contact Emily Marlow on +55 21 82829135 or +44 7976734028 and emmilym@aol.com