联合国秘书长潘基文在联合国可持续发展大会上的演讲（英文版）

Remarks at Official Opening Session of Rio+20 Conference<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

20 June 2012

It is my honour and privilege to declare open the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development and I call to order its first meeting. I wish to inform the Conference that, in accordance with rule 17 of the provisional rules of procedure of the Conference, I will serve as temporary President of the Conference until the election of the President.

I should like to extend a warm welcome to all of you and I am looking forward to a very successful and productive Conference.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Estou muito feliz de estar outra vez no Brasil. I am very glad to be in Brazil once again.

Once again, Brazil is the stage for literally Earth-changing events.

Twenty years ago the Earth Summit gave us a blueprint for sustainable development.

Since then, progress has been too slow.

We have not gone nearly far enough down the road mapped out in 1992.

Now we have been given a second chance.

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

We are now in sight of a historic agreement.

Let us not waste this opportunity.

The world is watching to see if words will translate into action, as we know they must.

Rio+20 is not an end, but a beginning.

It is time for all of us to think globally. Long-term. Beginning here, now, in Rio. For time is not on our side.

Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,

As representatives are aware, the Conference is held pursuant to General Assembly resolutions 64/236 of 24 December 2009 and 66/197 of 22 December 2011 and serves to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development and address new and emerging challenges.

I now invite the Conference to proceed with the election of the President.

It is my understanding that there is general agreement among all delegations to elect Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, as President of the Conference.

May I take it that the Conference wishes to elect by acclamation Her Excellency Dilma Rousseff as President of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development? It is so decided.