Earth Summit/UNCED (Rio, 1992)

The UN Conference on Envronment and Development (UNCED), unofficially known as the Earth Summit, was the first international high-level governmental conference to address the linkages between development and environment. Held in Rio de Jainero, Brazil, UNCED was concieved as a followup to the 1987 Brundtland Commission's report which officially defined sustainable development for the UN.

The consensus report that emerged, Agenda 21, was envisioned as a collection of objectives and program areas that would form the "basis for action, objectives, activities and means of implementation" of sustainable development globally over the next ten years.

The 27 principles specified in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development are guidelines for the international community for sustainable development, and built upon the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, which focused on the human environment.

In addition, two important treaties were opened for signature at the Conference: the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (now commonly referred to as the Kyoto Protocol, named for the location of the final followup meeting).

A Non-Legally Binding Authoritative Statement of Principles For a Global
Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of all Types of Forests (the Forest Principles) was also adopted.

Other 1992 Earth Summit Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

     
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