Q43 · UPSC Prelims 2015 · Set A · Environment and Ecology

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What is the Rio+20 Conference, often mentioned in the news?

A It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
B It is a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization
C It is a Conference of the Inter Government Panel on Climate Change.
D It is a Conference of the Member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Correct answer: (a) It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

Explanation

  1. A

    It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

    (a) It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Rio+20 (Rio de Janeiro, 2012) was the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, twenty years after the 1992 Earth Summit. That is the official key.

  2. B

    It is a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization

    (b) It is a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization. WTO ministerials are separate (e.g. Doha, Bali). Not Rio+20.

  3. C

    It is a Conference of the Inter Government Panel on Climate Change.

    (c) It is a Conference of the Inter Government Panel on Climate Change. IPCC plenaries adopt assessment reports; they are not branded Rio+20.

  4. D

    It is a Conference of the Member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

    (d) It is a Conference of the Member Countries of the Convention on Biological Diversity. CBD COPs (Nagoya, Hyderabad) are distinct from Rio+20.

Summary. Official key is (a) It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Rio+20 met in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro and produced The Future We Want. It is not a WTO ministerial, an IPCC session, or a CBD COP. Only UNCSD matches the name.