Israel attaches great importance to this year's Earth Summit, RIO+20, to
take place in Rio de Janeiro on 20-22 June. The unprecedented scope of
the Israeli delegation signifies the importance Israel assigns to
promoting sustainable development in Israel and in the international
arena.
Israel is well known in the world for its expertise
and vast knowledge in the field of sustainability, in topics such as
water, agriculture, food production, forestation, desertification and
others. These are some of the topics that will be discussed at the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio
de Janeiro on 20-22 June 2012. About 130 world leaders and about 50,000
people are expected to attend from around the globe.
Israel's Minister of Environmental Protection, Gilad Erdan,
will lead a large professional Israeli delegation to the UN conference,
also known as Rio+20. The delegation will be composed of delegates from
government ministries, the Knesset, local authorities, the business
community, academia and civil society. Minister Erdan is scheduled to
speak at the conference plenum. The Ministry of Environmental Protection
is responsible for the subject of sustainability in Israel.
The main topic of the conference will be building a "green
economy" for the eradication of poverty in developing countries, with an
emphasis on energy, water, food, cities, green employment, the oceans
and disasters. The conference will also address how to prepare for the
era after 2015, the target year for the UN's millennium goals, and how
to make the subject of sustainable development an integral part of the
international system.
The Israeli pavilion will showcase Israel's achievements in
green technology, promotion of sustainability in Israel and Israeli
foreign aid. This week, for instance, Israeli Prof. Daniel Hillel won
the 2012 World Food prize for his work in developing the
micro-irrigation system, thus contributing to food security. Israel
shares its expertise with the world in the framework of foreign aid
(through MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development
Cooperation), its economic and professional relations with other states
and its activities in the international arena.