“The seas and oceans host some of the most vulnerable and important ecosystems on Earth, but the diversity of life they host is under ever-increasing strain,” Ban said at an event in the city of Yeosu in the Republic of Korea (ROK), to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening for signature of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Convention, also known as the “constitution of the oceans,” governs all aspects of ocean space, from delimitation of maritime boundaries, environmental regulations, scientific research, commerce and the settlement of international disputes involving marine issues. It was first opened for signature in 1982 and entered into force in 1994; there are 162 parties to it – 161 States and the European Union.

Ban praised the achievements of the Convention in helping countries establish a legal framework to guide the management of the oceans, the settlement of disputes, and the administration of the international seabed.

“Among its principles, the Law of the Sea recognizes that all ocean issues are related and that they need to be addressed as a whole,” Ban said, adding that this is in line with the development framework put forward at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

However, Ban also emphasized the need to address multiple issues that threaten the marine environment. To do this, he announced the launch of the Oceans Compact, which will seek to support and strengthen the implementation of the Law of the Sea.

“What we need is to create new momentum for ocean sustainability,” Ban said. “The Oceans Compact sets out a strategic vision for the UN System to deliver more coherently and effectively on its oceans-related mandates, consistent with the Rio+20 outcome.”

The Compact, Ban added, will provide a platform to help countries protect the ocean’s natural resources, restore their full food production to help people’s whose livelihoods depend on the sea, and increase awareness and knowledge about the management of the oceans.

To achieve the objectives of the Compact, Ban proposed a results-oriented Action Plan along with the creation of an Ocean Advisory Group made up of high-level policymakers, scientists and experts, as well as representatives of the private sector and civil society.

During his visit, Ban also spoke to young people at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) youth forum, where he asked participants to practice solidarity among generations and lead the way in implementing sustainable measures in all aspects of society.

“From public squares to cyberspace, youth are a transformative force; you are creative, resourceful and enthusiastic agents of change,” Ban said. “A sustainable future can be ours. The work starts now, and it starts with you. This is a generational imperative… a generational opportunity… that your generation must seize.”

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) will work with stakeholders including business, civil society, UN agencies and other international organizations to identify and share the best pathways to achieve sustainable development, according to a UN news release.

This initiative is part of the work undertaken in response to the mandate on post-2015 and the outcome of UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which took place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, in June.

The Solutions Network will be directed by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to Secretary-General Ban on the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It will operate in close coordination with the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

“The post-2015 objectives will help the world to focus on the vital challenges of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network will be an innovative way to draw upon worldwide expertise in the campuses, universities, scientific research centres and business technology divisions around the world,” Ban said.

The High-level Panel will advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for achieving the MDGs, and it will hold its first meeting at the end of September, in the margins of the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly. It is expected to submit its findings to the Secretary-General in the first half of 2013, and those findings will inform his report to Member States.

The eight MDGs, agreed on by world leaders at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction, and a ‘Global Partnership for Development.’

According to the news release, given that politics around the world too often focuses on short-term issues while governments often lack the timely information needed for long-term sustainable-development strategies, it is essential that scientists and technology experts outside of government support the development of long-term analyses, demonstration programmes and development pathways.

The SDSN is expected to provide an independent global, open and inclusive process to support and scale up problem-solving at local, national and global levels.

“In the 20 years since the first Rio Earth Summit, the world has largely failed to address some of the most serious environmental and social problems pressing in on us,” Sachs said. “We can’t afford business as usual. We need to engage the academic and scientific community, and tap into worldwide technological know-how in the private sector and civil society, in order to develop and implement practical solutions.”

Substantial emphasis will be placed on collaboration across countries to analyze common problems and learn from each other’s experiences. The network will accelerate joint learning and help to overcome the compartmentalization of technical and policy work by promoting integrated “systems” approaches to addressing the complex economic, social and environmental challenges confronting governments.

“We have defined the future we want,” Al-Nasser said, making a reference to the title of the Conference’s outcome document, in his remarks to a meeting of the General Assembly held to adopt a resolution endorsing the document. “Now what is important is implementation.”

Rio+20 was attended by some 100 Heads of State and government, along with more than 40,000 representatives from non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society, all seeking to help shape new policies to promote global prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

At the end of the gathering, participants agreed an outcome document which called for a wide range of actions, such as beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.

The document also focused on improving gender equity; recognized the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressed the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.

Rio+20 followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.

“Rio in 1992 and Johannesburg in 2002 put sustainable development on the map, but Rio+20 has defined a new vision of development for the future, which will be equitable and inclusive and will take into account the limits of our planet,” Al-Nasser said.

“A number of processes have been launched in Rio, but in order for them to be successful, we need development cooperation,” he added. “International development cooperation must continue to play a key role in promoting solutions for our global challenges.”

“Let me be clear. Rio+20 was a success,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a General Assembly meeting on the outcome of the Conference. “In Rio, we saw the further evolution of an undeniable global movement for change.”

More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – attended Rio+20 from 20-22 June. The event followed on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.

In his remarks, Ban highlighted several parts of the Rio+20 outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want”, which he hailed as “an important victory for multilateralism after months of difficult negotiations.”

Through the document, the UN chief said, countries renewed their political commitment to sustainable development, agreed to establish a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs), and established a high-level political forum on sustainable development.

The outcome document also calls for a wide range of actions, such as detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.

It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.

Ban emphasized the importance of the more than 700 commitments registered during the Conference. “This is a remarkable testament to bottom-up, grassroots commitment,” he said. “The world is watching and will hold us all accountable to the commitments made in Rio.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Ban said that the many commitments made in Rio will be a “concrete and lasting legacy” of the Conference. “If the outcome document is the foundation for the next stage of our journey to sustainable development, the commitments are the bricks and cement,” he stated.

In his remarks to the gathering, the President of the General Assembly, Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, called on Member States to respect their commitments made in relation to Rio+20 “so that they can guide our future actions.”

“Implementation is imperative if we are to attain the future we want,” he added. “Now that the summit is over, the real work begins, and we all have our parts to play for ultimate success.”

Al-Nasser reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to play a central role in helping define and establish the SDGs. He also announced a series of meetings in the area of sustainable development and global prosperity, to help tackle the issue related to the global financial crises, which are also linked to countries’ capabilities to work towards sustainable development.

“No country has been completely immune from the global economic and financial crisis that hit the world in 2008. To tackle this issue successfully, the world needs to come together like never before and act collectively with a sense of urgency,” he said.

“We are now in sight of a historic agreement,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his address to Rio+20’s opening session this morning. “Let us not waste this opportunity. The world is watching to see if words will translate into action, as we know they must.”

After intensive and protracted informal negotiations on how to accelerate the implementation of sustainable development, 191 countries reached agreement yesterday on the Conference’s outcome document. The text will now be put forward for adoption by Heads of State at the conclusion of Rio+20 on Friday.

“I am pleased that negotiations have reached a successful conclusion and I commend the Presidency of Brazil for facilitating this resolution,” Ban said.

More than 40,000 people – including parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders – are attending Rio+20 from 20-22 June. The event follows on from the Earth Summit in 1992, also held in Rio de Janeiro, during which countries adopted Agenda 21 – a blueprint to rethink economic growth, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.

“We have been given a second chance,” Mr. Ban said, adding that since the Earth Summit twenty years ago progress has been too slow, and much more needs to be done. “Rio+20 is not an end but a beginning. It is time for all of us to think globally and locally.”

Rio+20’s outcome document, entitled “The Future We Want,” calls for a wide range of actions.

These include: beginning the process to establish sustainable development goals; detailing how the green economy can be used as a tool to achieve sustainable development; strengthening the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); promoting corporate sustainability reporting measures; taking steps to go beyond gross domestic product to assess the well-being of a country; developing a strategy for sustainable development financing; and, adopting a framework for tackling sustainable consumption and production.

It also focuses on improving gender equity; recognizing the importance of voluntary commitments on sustainable development; and stressing the need to engage civil society and incorporate science into policy; among other points.

“We think the text contains a lot of action, and if this action is implemented, and if follow-up measures are taken, it will indeed make a tremendous difference in generating positive global change,” Rio+20’s Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, said after the conclusion of the outcome document negotiations on Tuesday.

In addition to the outcome document, there have been nearly 500 voluntary commitments on sustainable development activities by civil society groups, businesses, governments and universities. In addition, the UN’s Global Compact initiative, which concluded its Corporate Sustainability Forum yesterday, announced more than 200 commitments to sustainable development by businesses.

Speaking at Rio+20’s ceremonial opening, on Wednesday afternoon, Secretary-General Ban thanked Brazil for hosting the Conference, and expanded on the opportunity it presented to the world.

“We recognize that the old model for economic development and social advancement is broken,” he said. “Rio+20 has given us a unique chance to set it right, to create a new model, to set a new course that truly balances the imperatives of robust growth and economic development with the social and environmental dimensions of sustainable prosperity and human well-being.”

“But, we need to keep our eyes on the prize. We need to act with vision and commitment, commitment and vision in the largest sense,” the UN chief added. “Let us not forget the scarcest resource of all: Time. We are running out of time. We no longer have the luxury to defer difficult decisions. We have a common responsibility to act in common cause, to set aside narrow national interests in the name of the global public good and the betterment of all.”

In his remarks to the same ceremonial opening – at which Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, and the Rio+20 Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, also spoke at – the President of the General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, said Rio+20 is the “opportunity of a generation.”

“It is our chance to transform ideas and aspirations into bold actions and everyday realities. It is the moment to take steps to shape the future for generations to come – the future we want,” Mr. Al-Nasser said.

“All violations of the human rights of the Syrian people at the hands of all parties to the conflict must end. The Government of Syria should immediately cease the use of heavy armaments and shelling of populated areas, as such actions amount to crimes against humanity and possible war crimes,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said in her opening statement to the 20th session of the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.

“I also urge the international community to overcome divisions and work to end the violence and human rights violations to which the people of Syria have been subjected,” she added, noting that efforts must be made to ensure accountability for all perpetrators, including those who have attacked UN observers on the ground there.

Over the weekend, the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) announced that it had suspended the monitoring activities of its observers due to the intensification of armed violence across the country in recent days.

“This suspension comes while innocent civilians are being killed every day, but the situation is posing also significant risk to UN observers who are now locked down and not patrolling,” Ms. Pillay said. “This follows daily attacks on their convoys seeking to access towns and villages in Syria, including the town of al Haffa on 12 June, to document grave human rights violations.”

The Security Council established UNSMIS in April to monitor the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitor and support the full implementation of a six-point peace plan put forward by the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League for the Syrian Crisis, Kofi Annan. Amongst other things, the plan calls for an end to violence and the start of inclusive political dialogue.

The UN estimates that more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Syria and tens of thousands displaced since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began some 16 months ago.

“The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate, and the suffering of civilians has increased significantly,” Ms. Pillay said in her Council statement, which also provided a wrap-up of her Office’s activities.

Regarding the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Ms. Pillay reiterated her appeal to Member States to integrate key human rights considerations into the Rio+20 outcome document, to ensure full coherence between efforts to advance the green economy, and their human rights obligations, including the right to development.

“They [Member States] should recognize that all policies and measures adopted to advance sustainable development must be firmly grounded in, and respectful of, all internationally agreed human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development,” she said, adding that particular care must be taken to prevent and remedy any negative impact the outcome document might have on the human rights of vulnerable and marginalized groups.

Rio+20’s high-level meeting runs 20-22 June, and is expected to bring together over 100 heads of State and government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

The third and final session of Rio+20′s Preparatory Committee concluded on Friday and Brazil, which holds the presidency of the Conference, now has the responsibility for deciding on how to proceed to achieve progress on the economic, social and environmental issues at the centre of the negotiations.

The Brazilian authorities have said that the consultation process on the outcome document is expected to conclude on Monday, after which it will be put forward for adoption by Member States when they meet from Wednesday onwards.

“Bearing in mind the immense tasks confronting the Rio Conference, it is important to recall the cross-cutting nature of human rights,” Ms. Pillay said. “Whether we are talking about peace and security, development, humanitarian action, the struggle against terrorism, climate change, or the environment, these challenges cannot be addressed in isolation from human rights.”

Made up of 47 Member States elected by the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the UN system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them.

The Council holds no fewer than three regular sessions a year; this current session ends on 6 July.

“We cannot afford to leave women marginalized,” the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), Michelle Bachelet, told reporters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “This is not sustainable. This social exclusion of women is not only hurting women, it is hurting all of us.”

On Friday, the responsibility for the negotiations on the outcome document was handed over to the Brazilian Government, which holds the Presidency of Rio+20. The South American nation has since presented a shorter consolidated text for countries to work on, and indicated that the consultation process on the document is expected to conclude on 18 June. It will then be put forward for adoption by Member States, when they meet from 20 to 22 June.

In her comments, Ms. Bachelet said that the outcome document must highlight women’s roles throughout the entire text, as their participation permeates all aspects of sustainable development, including agriculture, education, environmental management and decision-making, among others.

“Women’s contribution should not just be as an isolated paragraph in the text but should be mainstreamed in all the aspects of it,” she said.

The UN official emphasized actions that world leaders must undertake to fully integrate women into societies so they can contribute and benefit from sustainable development. These include taking measures to ensure that women can access leadership roles, encouraging their participation in the economy, and stopping violence and discrimination, which is still endemic in many parts of the world.

“The future women want is free from poverty and discrimination, with equal access to opportunities and leadership, with wise stewardship of natural resources,” Ms. Bachelet said. “In short, where development is sustainable everywhere and for everyone.”

Speaking at the same press encounter, the former Prime Minister of Norway and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change, Gro Harlem Brundtland, underscored the need to reaffirm and strengthen the principle on women’s participation, which was put forward on Agenda 21, the plan of action adopted at the first Earth Summit, in Rio de Janeiro, twenty years ago.

“There was an amount of awareness then, but this needs to be strengthened,” Ms. Brundtland said. “This is the time to put behind us the tendency to underestimate the role of women. It is an outrageous oversight. Now is the time to unleash the largest untapped potential for sustainable development so we do not lose out on half of the world’s intelligence.”

UN Women will be hosting a series of event throughout Rio+20, including a Leaders’ Forum tomorrow and a Women Leaders’ Summit on Thursday.

Rio+20’s high-level meeting runs 20-22 June, and is expected to bring together over 100 heads of State and government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

The Global Initiative for Resource-Efficient Cities was launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, just days ahead of the start of the high-level meeting of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

The initiative, open to cities with populations of 500,000 or more, will involve local and national governments, the private sector and civil society groups to promote energy efficient buildings, efficient water use, sustainable waste management and other activities.

UNEP notes that by 2050, up to 80 per cent of the global population is expected to reside in cities, which are increasingly becoming the focus of international sustainability efforts.

Today, urban areas account for 50 per cent of all waste, generate 60-80 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions and consume 75 per cent of natural resources, yet occupy only three per cent of the Earth’s surface, the agency points out in a news release.

Yet water savings of 30 per cent, and energy savings of up to 50 per cent, can be achieved in cities with limited investment and encouraging behavioural change, it adds.

“In the context of rapid urbanization and growing pressures on natural resources, there is an urgent need for coordinated action on urban sustainability,” said UNEP’s Executive Director, Achim Steiner.

“This is essential both for preventing irreversible degradation of resources and ecosystems, and for realizing the multiple benefits of greener cities, from savings through energy-efficient buildings, or the health and climate benefits of cleaner fuels and vehicles,” he added.

UNEP also notes that the economic opportunities associated with making cities more sustainable are numerous. As centres of technology, cities can spearhead the creation of green jobs in sectors such as renewable energy. Projections show that some 20 million people could be employed in the wind, solar and biofuel industries by 2030, for example.

The practical steps that cities can take towards resource efficiency are the focus of a new UNEP report, also launched today at Rio+20.

Using case studies from China, Brazil, Germany and a host of other countries, Sustainable, Resource Efficient Cities in the 21st Century: Making it Happen highlights opportunities for city leaders to improve waste and water management, energy efficiency, urban transportation and other key sectors.

Rio+20’s high-level meeting runs 20-22 June, and is expected to bring together over 100 heads of State and government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

“Forests and trees on farms are a direct source of food, energy, and cash income for more than a billion of the world’s poorest people,” said FAO’s Assistant Director-General for Forestry, Eduardo Rojas-Briales, in a news release on the report.

“At the same time, forests trap carbon and mitigate climate change, maintain water and soil health, and prevent desertification. The sustainable management of forests offers multiple benefits – with the right programs and policies, the sector can lead the way towards more sustainable, greener economies,” he added.

The report, The State of the World’s Forests 2012 (SOFO 2012), will be officially presented at an event organized by FAO and its partners at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio+20’s high-level meeting runs 20-22 June, and is expected to bring together over 100 heads of state and government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders, to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

SOFO 2012 makes the case that better and more sustainable use of forestry resources can make a significant contribution to meeting many of the core challenges being discussed at Rio+20.

The report notes that investments in wood-based enterprises can generate jobs, create assets and help revitalize the lives of millions of people in rural areas. Some 350 million of the world’s poorest people, including 60 million indigenous people, depend on forests for their daily subsistence and long-term survival, it adds.

Despite sometimes having a poor reputation due to concerns over deforestation, wood products – if sourced from well-run forestry operations – can store carbon and are easily recycled, the FAO report states. It highlights how forest-based industries around the world are innovating competitive new products and processes to substitute non-renewable materials, and by doing so are opening pathways towards low-carbon bio-economies.

The report also argues that sustainable forestry offers a renewable, alternative source of energy.

“Burning wood may be the oldest method by which humans acquire energy, but it is anything but obsolete,” said Mr. Rojas-Briales, adding that wood energy is still the dominant source of energy for over one third of the world’s population, in particular for the poor.

“And as the search for renewable energy sources intensifies, we must not overlook the considerable opportunities for forest biomass-based energy to emerge as a cleaner and greener alternative,” he added.

According to SOFO 2012, deriving energy from wood can offer a climate-neutral and socially equitable solution, provided wood is harvested from sustainably managed forests, burned using appropriate technologies, and undertaken in combination with reforestation and sustainable forest management programs. In addition, by both reducing deforestation and restoring lost forests on a large scale, significant amounts of carbon can be removed from the atmosphere, reducing the severity and impacts of climate change.

SOFO 2012 also notes that putting forests at the heart of a new, green economy will require, first and foremost, policies and programmes that give entrepreneurs incentives to pursue the sustainable utilization of forest resources.

It says that this includes “the removal of perverse incentives that result in deforestation and degradation and conversion of forests to other uses, as well as those promoting the use of non renewable raw materials like steel, concrete, plastics or fossil energies that compete with wood and bamboo.”

Members of the event’s Preparatory Committee are due to finish negotiations on the outcome document on Friday. Yesterday, the Rio+20 Secretary-General, Sha Zukang, urged them to take advantage of the new format whereby members split into various groups to better focus on different areas and accelerate the deliberation process.

“We are hoping that the multiplicity of contact groups speeds up negotiations so that we have closure on this as soon as possible,” the Rio+20 Head of Office, Nikhil Seth, told reporters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, today.

More than 100 heads of State and government, along with thousands of parliamentarians, mayors, UN officials, chief executive officers and civil society leaders are expected to attend Rio+20’s high-level meeting, from 20 to 22 June, to shape new policies to promote prosperity, reduce poverty and advance social equity and environmental protection.

In an interview, Mr. Seth described the atmosphere during negotiations on the outcome document as “extremely positive,” even though there are concerns that they are happening too slowly, with just one day left to reach an agreement.

“The atmosphere is very friendly and consensus-inducing,” Mr. Seth said. “The major problem is that progress is somewhat slow, that they [delegates] are not rapidly coming to a conclusion on many of the paragraphs.”

Meanwhile, thousands of civil society members participated in Rio+20’s various side-events, voicing their concerns on issues such as marine protection, deforestation, food security and workers’ rights.

“We are here to try to engage young people with the conference and get them to tell legislators and world leaders to stick to the promises they have made, and get them to renew their commitments on marine protection,” Ruth Desforges from the Zoos Zoological Society of London said in an interview. “We are heading to more youth events this afternoon and we are particularly excited about the global youth music contest on Saturday.”

Over 500 side-events are set to take place over the coming days, with people from all over the world attending talks, panels and workshops on range of issues. Many are also taking the opportunity to form partnerships and share knowledge.

“The networking opportunities are enormous and you have a chance to learn from people that work in similar or totally diverse fields,” said Illene Pevec from Susila Dharma International, an NGO working on small grassroots projects in various developing countries.

“I went to a meeting on youth engagement on development issues which was run by the Girls Scouts Association and that was by far the best meeting, because the young people do not have any power so they feel free to be honest and say exactly what is going on,” she added. “It is far more interesting to be with people that do not have a political line to follow. I always learn a lot.”

The General-Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, Sharon Burrow, who participated in a press briefing on decent jobs and health for workers earlier Thursday, said the conference was a platform for workers to be heard by world leaders.

“We are here to demand that governments endorse the financial transactions tax,” she said. “It is time that governments stood up to the financial sector and said: you must make a contribution.”