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US Makes Major Contributions to Cause of Sustainable Development

The head of next year's United Nations world summit on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro today said United States Government has made major contributions to the cause of sustainable development.

Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs said he looked for leadership from the United States to make it a successful conference.

Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and the Secretary-General of the 2012 UN conference on sustainable development, said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington today that he would be asking the US for many contributions and named the first as leadership.

"We hope to see more US leadership in these and other critical areas." -Mr. Sha

A wide view of the ministerial dialogue on “Moving towards Sustainable Development Expectations” ahead of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012. UN Photo: Mark Garten

Mr. Sha said the sustainable development conference - called Rio+20, as it follows by 20 years the 1992 Earth Summit - is "not just another UN conference.

Other contributions Mr. Sha said he hoped the US would make included the creation of socially responsible business opportunities; philanthropic contributions to sustainable development; scientific research in response to emerging global challenges; and innovative thinking.

Source: United Nations