Project Description/Background:

Under the auspices of the United Nations international community regularly meets to consider global environment and development needs together. For the first time global leaders came together in 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, to define a sustainable development pathway that secures a reasonable standard of living for the global population whilst preserving our ecosystems and resources. The Rio Summit in 1992, also referred to as Earth Summit, was followed by a high-level meeting in Johannesburg in 2002 (Rio +10) and the next Earth Summit is due for 4-6 June 2012 in Rio (Rio+20). International Dialogue on Environmental Action (IDEA) announced by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Ms. Leyla Aliyeva on 12 July 2011 is an excellent opportunity to get Azerbaijan engaged in the global movement for sustainable development. In this context, UNDP and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation are starting up a national advocacy campaign mobilizing Azerbaijani youth for action in the run-up to the global Rio+20 Summit.

This purpose of the campaign supported by UNDP and the Foundation is the following:

• Engage youth in the environmental movement in the framework of the International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA);
• Raise awareness of a broad range of stakeholders in Azerbaijan on the environment and development and the Rio process;
• Strengthen Azerbaijan’s preparedness for Rio+20.