India will push for upholding the principle of common but differentiated responsibility while addressing the issue of sustainable development at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro later this month.
“We will be negotiating to make sure that the Rio principles are reaffirmed and all sustainable development has to be viewed with the approach of equity and common but differentiated responsibility so that developing countries can have their share of development,” the Environment Minister, Ms Jayanthi Natarajan, told reporters here.
The Union Cabinet today gave its “full mandate” to the negotiating team led by Ms Natarajan to put forth India’s arguments on sustainable development at the Rio Summit.
“The Cabinet has given a full mandate to all our negotiating strategy at Rio summit. It is basically reaffirmation of first Rio summit principles that there should be sustainable development,” she said.
The Summit, to be held from June 20—22, has been established with an aim of bringing global leaders together and define a sustainable development pathway that leads to a future in which the whole global population can enjoy a decent standard of living whilst preserving the ecosystems and natural resources.
“Sustainable development is based on three pillars — economy, social and environment. And the entire concept of sustainable development has to be approached in the light of equity and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR),” Ms Natarajan said.