'The Future We Want' declaration

Twenty years following the landmark 1992 World Summit on Sustainable Development, world leaders gathered once more in Rio De Janeiro in 2012 to renew their dedication to sustainable development. The Rio+20 Conference re-affirmed sustainable development commitments, stated clearly in the “The Future We Want” Declaration. In 283 paragraphs, world leaders “renew [their] commitment to sustainable development ... to ensure the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet and for present and future generations.” 

World leaders “resolve[d] to take urgent action to achieve sustainable development” and emphasised the need to ”[work] together to secure the future we want for present and future generations. "Given the inevitable role future generations will play in climate change, our children must be provided opportunities to understand, interpret and share their views on how the challenge should be tackled. The “Voices of Future Generations” initiative aims to provide a platform for children to do so.

Clubs, governments, schools and people like you started 700+ partnerships and mobilised over $515 billion. The future we want exists in the hearts and minds of our current and future leaders, and in the hands of us all.

To discover more about the UN's work on sustainable development, see the UN Division on Sustainable Development website.