(Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson)

Israel will convene a preparatory meeting for the 2012 Earth Summit (Rio + 20), the UN Conference for Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The preparatory meeting is scheduled to take place on 25-27 October 2011 in the Maccabia Village in Ramat Gan.

At the 1992 Earth Summit, which was also held in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders discussed the possible impact of future development on the environment and adopted international environmental conventions, such as the Climate Change Convention. Ten years later, another world summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the purpose of boosting global commitment to sustainable development.

The Israeli meeting will be attended by senior representatives of countries from all over the world as well as from the UN Secretariat and UN agencies, headed by UN Under-Secretary-General and head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Mr. Sha Zukang. The meeting will deal with green agriculture as part of a green economy and as a tool for economic development and eradication of poverty.

The summary of this international meeting will be included in the draft of the outcome document of the Rio summit.

The meeting in Israel is being organized by MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Foreign Ministry, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in cooperation with UNDESA.