Oxfam final statement on Rio+20: Rio will go down as the hoax summit

Speaking at the end of the Rio+20 UN Summit on Sustainable Development, Barbara Stocking, Chief Executive, Oxfam GB said:

On the verdict

“Rio will go down as the hoax summit. They came, they talked, but they failed to act.”

“We elect governments to tackle the issues that we can’t tackle alone. But they are not providing the leadership the world desperately needs. Paralysed by inertia and in hock to vested interests, too many are unable to join up the dots and solve the connected crises of environment, equity and economy.”

“Governments have embraced globalization, but failed to govern it. The poorest people on earth are paying the highest price.

On a Financial Transaction Tax

“Global co-operation breaks down when countries break their promises. Rich countries have broken their promises to provide aid to the countries that need it most.

“President Hollande and other European leaders meeting in Luxembourg today have the means to rebuild that trust with a Financial Transaction Tax with half the money devoted to climate and development.”

Rays of hope emerging from Rio

“The People’s Summit was just that – a vision of a future we want with people at its center, and a rejection of business as usual.”

“It’s been a painful birth but the vision of an ambitious set of goals on environment and development, applicable to all countries, is a solitary light in the fog of Rio. But we need one set of goals for the people and the planet - ending poverty and protecting the environment are inextricably linked and cannot be addressed in isolation.”

“Ban Ki Moon’s Zero Hunger Challenge is a welcome ray of hope in a summit that has been shamefully devoid of progress for the almost billion people who go to bed hungry every night.”

“The failure of Rio+20 will feed the growing public insecurity and anger. Oxfam will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners and allies to turn that anger into an irresistible demand for change.”