Update

ARTICLE 19 at Rio+20 earth summit

ARTICLE 19 is campaigning for the right to free expression and information to be central to the Rio+20 earth summit declaration.

The rights to information, public participation, and access to justice are essential to sustainable development. The 1992 Rio earth summit Declaration fostered these rights in Principle 10. Now renewed commitment is needed for the full recognition of the rights in all countries.

Rio+20 provides an opportunity for governments to transform Principle 10 from aspirational goals into actionable rights. In particular, the Outcome Document should include strong commitments from all nations to improve their legal structures on national environmental governance based on Principle 10 and the Bali Guidelines, agree to the development of an international instrument giving legal force to Principle 10 based on the Aarhus Convention, and ensure that the principles are incorporated into all UN bodies decision-making processes.

Senior legal advisor, Dave Banisar is at Rio+20 alongside our South Asia director, Tahmina Rahman, who is coming as part of Bangladesh's delegation, and our South American director, Paula Martins, who runs our Brazil office.

Join the debate blog entries:

Rio day 10: Its the end of the world (and I feel fine) 

Last bus home.. Read more>

Rio Day 9: The walking dead

Trudging along slowly.. Read more>

Rio+20 Summit: Civil Society Organisations stranded in the middle of nowhere

Tahmina gives her take on the role of CSOs at the summit. Read more>

Rio day 8: The circus comes to town

Of commitments and lack of it. Kickstarting the summit. Read more>

Rio+20 Summit: Civil Society Organisations stranded in the middle of nowhere 

Looking for civil society but not finding any Read more>

Rio day 6: The end is nigh! And so is the world! 

Rio turns into an army camp as our civil society presence is accounced as 'a privilege, not a right'  Read more>

Rio day 5: The light at the end of the tunnel? 

Talks go into dark closed rooms as civil society asked to leave Read more>

Rio day 4: The big bang 

Brazil takes leadership with a fairly good new draft Read more>

Rio day 3: The quickening 

Negotiations running circles as everything gets more bland Read more>

Rio+20: Effects of climate change on women 

New film on women and climate change Read more>

Rio day 2: Before the Summit 

Trying hard not to 'defame' member states by criticising their actions Read more>

Rio day 1: Gearing up 

Arriving in Rio and explaining a little of what we want to do Read more>

Rio+20: Incorporating Principle 10 and the right to information 

We believe that one of the largest problems standing in the way of sustainable development and a clean environment is the lack at both the national and international level of operational and effective rights of access to information, public participation and access to justice. Read more>

Find more on

• International
• Environment
• Development