Assembly/AU/Dec.437(XIX) Page 1 DECISION ON THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (RIO+20), HELD IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, 20 – 22 JUNE 2012 Doc. Assembly/AU/9(XIX) The Assembly, 1. TAKES NOTE of the Report on the United Nations Conference On Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 20 – 22 June 2012; and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein; 2. COMMENDS H.E. Denis Sassou N’Guesso, President of the Republic of Congo, Africa’s Spokesperson and Political Coordinator for Rio+20 and all African Heads of States and Government and Heads of Delegation for their commitments and demonstration of excellent leadership at the conference; 3. ALSO COMMENDS the collective efforts exerted by all African negotiators under the leadership of the Republic of Congo (Ministers, Parliamentarians, Experts, civil society organizations and the private sector) for demonstrating solidarity with a strong united voice in advocating the African Consensus Statement as the Common African Position at the global negotiations at the Rio+20 conference on Sustainable Development; and FURTHER COMMENDS, the permanent representatives in New York under the leadership of the Republic of Kenya in its capacity as chief negotiator for the African Group, for the outstanding work to ensure that Africa’s interests were heard – particularly within the G-77 plus China – and fully reflected in the Rio+20 outcomes document; 4. FURTHER COMMENDS the Commission, the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (UN-OSAA) and other partners for the preparatory work and successful organization of the African Day event and other side events in Rio during the Conference; 5. CONGRATULATES Brazilian President H.E Dilma Rousseff for having successfully hosted the Conference and steering the leadership to build consensus at the Conference which was instrumental for the commitments and outcomes achieved at the Rio+20 conference; 6. URGES the UN General Assembly at its sessions to accelerate the process to strengthen and upgrade UNEP and FURTHER URGES Member States to continue to speak with one voice, ensure the adequate representation of Africa in all the committees to be established consequent to the outcome of Rio+20, and to use the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) to conduct a substantive analysis of the Rio+20 outcomes in order to develop a plan of action for Africa and to prepare for the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly;