Meeting won't be just a 'UN talking shop'

More than 130 world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from Wednesday to Friday, and put their heads together to deliver commitments on making the world a more sustainable place for future generations.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily in New York, Chinese diplomat Sha Zukang, secretary-general for what's billed as Rio+20 and UN undersecretary-general for economic and social affairs, expressed confidence that the Brazilian meeting won't be just "another UN conference" but will establish concrete goals.

"The UN is a place where we practically have conferences every day, (but) this is the conference that should have the potential to decide the future of mankind," said Sha.