Ms Gillard said the meeting had made progress with a commitment to develop sustainable development goals by 2015 and a decision to strengthen the UN environmental decision-making bodies.

But she said she understood many people around the world would have liked to see more progress.

The meeting was set to wind up on Friday (Saturday morning Australian time), when Ms Gillard flew home for the final parliamentary sitting week before the winter break.

The agreement was called ‘The Future We Want’, but the union of concerned scientists said it was so weak it gave the people of the world "no hope" for the future they want. And environment and aid groups agreed it had achieved very little.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/clinton-praises-gillard-for-actionand-her-hair-20120623-20uiq.html#ixzz1yZPNeaEU

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says this week's United Nations Earth Summit achieved important outcomes, denying the Brazil summit was a failure.

The summit has adopted a 53-page document, The Future We Want, which aims to lay the groundwork for a green economy and replace the UN's Millennium Development Goals from 2015.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon calls it a blueprint for making the world a brighter, safer place.

But green groups have criticised the agreement because it only lays out broad aspirations for improving environmental protections.

Ms Gillard says collective action is hard and global collective action is even harder, but there have been important agreements at the talks.

"There is a commitment to address the subsidies which lead to overfishing," she said.

"There is recognition of the effects of climate change on our oceans and recognition we need to address the management of our oceans beyond the exclusive economic zones of individual nations.

"I can certainly understand that there are many groups and many people around the world who would have had an ambition for more progress at this meeting.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-23/gillard-defends-rio-summit-outcomes/4088076

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Gillard and Clinton are close, getting to know one another during the Australia-US ministerial consultations (Ausmin) in Perth in 2012. Both women recognised shared purpose, particularly when it comes to supporting the advancement and development of young women and girls through education. But their relationship goes beyond an excellent working partnership in office to a personal friendship and recognition of shared values and experiences. Independently, the two women praised each other in their mutual books, especially for standing up against sexism in politics and society.

When the Clinton campaign asked Gillard to be part of the campaign video two weeks ago it was an easy decision for Gillard, who has previously publicly supported Clinton’s presidential bid, to say yes.

Some former prime ministers join boards. Some retire to a quiet life. Some pursue personal agendas (or vendettas) and some seem, for a short or long period after leaving office, to be a bit lost and drifting.

Gillard, who had a bruising and difficult time with a hung parliament, hostile sections of the media and undermining from within, has risen above the Australian political fray to a distinguished and respected international career. How has she done this? By remaining true to her sense of purpose, and for Gillard, her purpose is education.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/21/julia-gillard-from-australias-first-female-prime-minister-to-international-superstar