Along with more than 600 other submissions, the United States government posted its comments and recommendations to be added to the Chairman's "Compilation Document" to be discussed this December at the 2nd UN Intercessional meeting for Rio+20. Pointing out that "sustainable development is not a luxury but a necessity," the US calls for Rio+20 "to make governments around the world more transparent and accessible, to better engage citizens, and to build new networks across all sectors of our societies." The US message highlights three themes:

• THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT: CLEAN ENERGY AND URBANIZATION
• THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: ECOSYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
• THE INSTITUTIONAL ENVIRONMENT: MODERNIZING GLOBAL COOPERATION