What?

The Rio Summit also set the agenda for all

The United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development (UNCED), popularly known as the
Earth Summit, was convened in the hopes of
securing a number of environmentally responsible

subsequent

UN

conferences

examining

the

interconnections between human rights, population,

health, social and economic development, and
environmental

sustainability.

Regional

and

international development policies were explicitly

international agreements.

developed with consideration of environmental and

The Rio Summit focused on developing a global
framework

for

addressing

environmental

degradation through sustainable development.

economic impacts. These discussions led to critical

examinations of the environmental and health
impacts of common household agents such as

As Thomas Kamm wrote in the Wall Street Journal,

gasoline and pesticides. Similarly, the Summit

this "mother of all summits" was "the biggest

focused awareness on the increasing scarcity of

gathering of world leaders ever held".

fresh water and diminishing fishing resources and

The Rio Summit was unlike other UN conferences, in

terms of its large scale, public nature, and wide
ranging topics.

explored

ways

to

replace

fossil

fuels

with

alternative energies such as wind, solar, and water.

The main themes and agendas of the Rio Summit
were

condensed

into

several

documents

and

institutional mechanisms. The documents provided

focused

guidance for communities worldwide who desired to

environmentally-focused sustainable development.

integrate sustainable development goals into their

governance structure.

need

for

broad-based,

Through media coverage from the 7,000 journalists

for major environmental issues. The chief official for

The Rio Earth Summit, was held June 3 14, 1992,

which around two weeks, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

UNCED

was

Maurice

Strong,

Canadian

businessman and environmentalist.

Why?

Who?
conference

brought

together

the

largest

number of world leaders that had ever been

assembled: 118 heads of state and government and
delegations from 178 nations), as well as 2,400
Non-Governmental
representatives.
collaborated
pressing

the

who were present, UNCED gained world attention

When?

The

on

on

Organization
The

Summit

innovative

environmental

(NGO)

ways

concerns

attendees
to

address

and

largely

The primary goals of the Summit were to come to

an understanding of development that would
support socio-economic development and prevent
the continued deterioration of the environment, and
to lay a foundation for a global partnership between
the

developing

and

the

more

industrialized

countries, based on mutual needs and common

interests, that would ensure a healthy future for the
planet.

The

UN

sought

to

help

Governments

rethink

account

any

environmental

impact.

And

the

economic development and find ways to halt the

message has produced outcomes, making eco-

destruction of irreplaceable natural resources and

efficiency a guiding principle for business and

pollution of the planet.

governments alike.

The Summits message that nothing less than a

Patterns of production particularly the

transformation of our attitudes and behaviour

production of toxic components, such as lead

would bring about the necessary changes was

in gasoline, or poisonous waste are being

transmitted by almost 10,000 on-site journalists

scrutinized in a systematic manner by the UN

and heard by millions around the world. The

and Governments alike;

Alternative sources of energy are being sought

message reflected the complexity of the problems

facing us: that poverty as well as excessive
consumption

by

affluent

populations

place

to replace the use of fossil fuels which are

linked to global climate change;
New reliance on public transportation systems

damaging stress on the environment.

is being emphasized in order to reduce vehicle

How?

emissions, congestion in cities and the health

Governments

recognized

the

need

to

redirect

international and national plans and policies to

ensure that all economic decisions fully took into

problems caused by polluted air and smog;

There is much greater awareness of and
concern over the growing scarcity of water.

Result?

The UN Framework Convention on Climate

The Rio Summit was successful at moving beyond

Change
The Convention on Biological Diversity

mere

discussions

environment.
three

major

of

development

and

the

As a direct result of the Summit,

agreements

(ratified

by

108

governments) and two legally binding conventions

substantiated the talks. The agreements included:

Agenda 21 addresses today are pressing problems

and aims to prepare the world for the challenges of
the next century. It contains detailed proposals for
action in social and economic areas (such as
combating poverty, changing patterns of production

Agenda 21,
The Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development
Statement of Forest Principles.
In addition, two legally binding Conventions aimed
at preventing global climate change and the
eradication of the diversity of biological species

and

consumption and

addressing

demographic

dynamics), and for conserving and managing the

natural resources that are the basis for life such as
protecting

the

biodiversity,

atmosphere

preventing

(Oceans

and

deforestation,

and

promoting sustainable agriculture) for example.

were opened for signature at the Summit, giving

The

high profile to these efforts:

Development supports Agenda 21 by defining the

Rio

Declaration

on

Environment

and

rights and responsibilities of States regarding these

issues. Among its principles:

Principle 11. National Environmental Legislation

Principle 12. Supportive and Open International

Principle 1. The role of man

Economic System

Principle 2. State sovereignty

Principle 13. Compensation for Victims of Pollution

and other Environmental Damage

Principle 3. The Right to development

Principle

4.

Environmental

Protection

in

the

Principle 6. Priority for the Least Developed

Principle 7. State Cooperation to Protect Ecosystem
Principle 8. Reduction of Unsustainable Patterns of
Production and Consumption
Capacity

State

Cooperation

to

Principle 15. Precautionary principle

Principle 5. Eradication of Poverty

9.

14.

Prevent environmental dumping

Development Process

Principle

Principle

Building

Development
Principle 10. Public participation

Principle 16. Internalization of Environmental Costs

Principle 17. Environmental Impact Assessments
Principle 18. Notification of Natural Disaster
Principle 19. Prior and Timely Notification

for

Sustainable

Principle 20. Women have a Vital Role

Principle 21. Youth Mobilization

Principle 22. Indigenous Peoples have a Vital Role

their own resources but not to cause damage

Principle 23. People under Oppression

to the environment of other States;

That eradicating poverty and

Principle 24. Warfare

Principle

25.

Peace,

Development

and

Principle 26. Resolution of Environmental Disputes

Principle 27. Cooperation between State and People
That human beings are at the centre of
concerns for sustainable development. They
are entitled to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature;
That scientific uncertainty should not delay
to

reducing

disparities in worldwide standards of living are

indispensable for sustainable development;
That the full participation of women is

Environmental Protection

measures

That States have a sovereign right to exploit

prevent

environmental

degradation where there are threats of serious

or irreversible damage;

essential

for

achieving

sustainable

development; and
That the developed countries acknowledge
the

responsibility

international

that

they

pursuit

of

bear

in

the

sustainable

development in view of the pressures their

societies place on the global environment and
of the technologies and financial resources
they command.
The Statement of Forest Principles, the non
legally binding statement of principles for the
sustainable management of forests, was the first

global consensus reached on forests. Among its

provisions:
That

conservation

of

biological

diversity

(or biodiversity);
all

countries,

notably

developed

sustainable use of its components; and

countries, should make an effort to green the

world

through

reforestation

and

forest

conservation
That States have a right to develop forests
according to their socio-economic needs, in
keeping

with

national

sustainable

development policies
That specific financial resources should be
provided

to

develop

programmes

fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising

from genetic resources
In other words, its objective is to develop national
strategies for the conservation and sustainable use
of biological diversity. It is often seen as the key
document regarding sustainable development.

that

encourage economic and social substitution

policies

The United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international
environmental treaty

(currently

the

only

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),

international

known informally as the Biodiversity Convention,

legitimacy, due in part to its virtually universal

is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three

membership). The objective of the treaty is to

main goals:

"stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the

climate

policy

venue

with

broad

atmosphere

at

level

that

would

dangerous anthropogenic interference

prevent

with

the

climate system".

uneven

progress,

with

widening

inequities

in

income and continued environmental deterioration.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development

The treaty itself set no binding limits on greenhouse

WSSD (called Earth Summit 2002) was held, after

gas emissions for individual countries and contains

ten years, in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002; it

no enforcement mechanisms. In that sense, the

was boycotted by the United States. The UN

treaty is considered legally non-binding. Instead,

simultaneously sponsored an intensive analysis, the

the treaty provides a framework for negotiating

Millennium

specific international treaties (called "protocols")

statement of millennium development goals.

that may set binding limits on greenhouse gases.

Ecosystem

Assessment,

and

Rio+5 (1997)

Future?
In 1997, the UN General Assembly held a special
The United Nations (UN) set up a Commission
on

Sustainable

Development

(CSD)

for

effective follow-up. In 1997 at the New York

headquarters, the UN General Assembly held a fiveyear

review

commonly

of

called

progress
Rio+5.

on
The

Earth

Summit,

assembly

found

session to appraise the status of Agenda 21 (Rio

+5).

The

"uneven"

Assembly
and

recognized

identified

key

progress

trends,

as

including

increasing globalization, widening inequalities in

income, and continued deterioration of the global

environment.

new

General

Assembly Resolution promised further action.

Rio+10 (2002)
The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, agreed
at

the World

Summit

Development (Earth
UN commitment
Agenda 21,
the Millennium

to

on

Summit 2002)
"full

Sustainable
affirmed

implementation"

alongside
Development

achievement
Goals and

of
of

other

international agreements.
Rio+20 (2012)
In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development the attending members
reaffirmed their commitment to Agenda 21 in their
outcome document called "The Future We Want".
180 leaders from nations participated.

There has been some progress of note since Rio in

Carbon emissions have increased nearly 10%

achieving the Agenda 21 plan of action. The

(nearly 20% in US).

percentage of the worlds grinding poor fell

Saharan Africa (20-40% infection rate in southern

from

African

one-quarter

to

one-fifth

of

the

worlds

nations)

HIV has exploded in sub-

And

increasingly

uneven

population. Although there are more than 2 billion

development is implicated in desertification, the

nutrition-deficient people, the world faces no overall

plummeting of fish stocks, widespread draught and

food scarcity.

And the sometimes recalcitrant US

salinization, and wildlife species disappearing at

administration recently announced a 50% (5$ billion

unprecedented rates, much of these due to tropical

USD) increase in US foreign aid spending over 3

deforestation claiming an approximately 200,000

years.

square kilometers every year. Yet the political

However, there is plenty of bad news regarding

progress since Rio in environmental and human
indicators. Population grew from approximately 5
billion to 6 billion people as the number of people

commitment of the worlds wealthiest nations,

particularly the US, to reversing these processes
remains far from matching the cost they exact on
society.

who earn less than 2 US$ per day increased by tens

The US proposed aid increase brings its foreign aid

of millions.

package to not even one-fifth the 1992 pledge to

earmark 0.7% of annual GDP to foreign assistance.

This amounts to less than one billion dollars a

The WSSD held August 26September 4, 2002 in

month; a meager sum next to a US military budget

Johannesburg, South Africa, aimed at assessing

in excess of one billion dollars per day. At the Rio

developments since the Rio Earth Summit and

Earth Summit ten years prior, the worlds richest

reinforcing multilateral commitments to sustainable

nations committed to halve poverty by 2007, to

development. More than 20,000 participants, from

eradicate hunger, reduce under-5 mortality by

governmental (representing 180 countries) and

2/3rds, and to enroll all children in school. The UN

non-governmental

estimates the cost of achieving these goals at

private

between 40-60 billion dollars over the amount that

addressed increasing challenges in environmental

would be produced from the 0.7% commitment -

degradation and sustainable development.

merely

military

large number of unmet accords inherited from the

spending or one-sixth of what the West spends to

1992 Rio Summitdue to flaccid commitment by

subsidize its farmers. In an attempt to rectify some

the wealthiest nations to mobilize around these

of

concerns

several

these

weeks

problems,

worth

and

lack

of

of

our

international

sector,

and

organizations
and

in

no

the

(NGOs),

scientific

small

part

the

community

to

the

The

U.S.

commitment in solving them, the UN convened a

governments failure to participate in key global

summit ten years after Rio, the 2002 Johannesburg

treaties (such as the Kyoto Accord) called for

World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).

significant

structural

changes

at

the

2002

Johannesburg Summit. One change was to revisit

the accords, some changes include: halving the

business,

proportion of people that lack access to clean water

indigenous,

or proper sanitation and restoring depleted fisheries

farmers,

by 2015. In reassessing progress in the MDGs and

saliently, the organizers included a parallel event to

Agenda 21 since Rio, Summit organizers also

strengthen

decided

Stakeholders Forum Implementation Conference.

to

government.

strengthen
Sectors

collaborations

explicitly

beyond

included

were

women
local

and

the

civil

and

children,

trade

non-governmental
scientific

society

unions,
groups,

community.

Most

participation,

the