Q. What is Rio +20 Conference, often mentioned in the news? (UPSC Prelims 2015)
Answer: It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Notes: The correct answer is [A] It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The Rio+20 Conference was a major international gathering held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, marking the 20th anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit.

• United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Statement A – Correct): Rio+20 focused on two main themes: a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
• Outcome Document: The conference produced the non-binding document titled "The Future We Want," which laid the groundwork for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that replaced the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.
• World Trade Organization (Statement B – Incorrect): WTO Ministerial Meetings deal with international trade rules and disputes, not global environmental or sustainable development frameworks.
• IPCC (Statement C – Incorrect): The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is a scientific body that provides assessments on climate change; it does not host the Rio+20 conference, though its data informs such meetings.
• CBD (Statement D – Incorrect): While the Convention on Biological Diversity was an outcome of the original 1992 Earth Summit, Rio+20 was a broader UN conference encompassing social, economic, and environmental pillars, rather than a specific meeting of CBD parties.

Rio+20 also led to the creation of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the strengthening of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).