AGENDA 21, 1992

Introduction The formal 12-day conference of government delegations, called the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held at the RioCentro convention center in Rio's outskirts. The conference which culminated a process of preparatory negotiations that included four major international meetings of the Preparatory Committee concluded with a two- day summit by many ministers and heads of state, the true "Earth Summit."

Introduction Simultaneous to UNCED, a large gathering of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) was held in Flamengo Park, 40 kilometers from the RioCentro conference site, under the umbrella title of the Global Forum. The Global Forum was a mixture of extensive NGO networking, street fair, trade show, political demonstration, and general events, and it involved about 18,000 participants, plus more than 200,000 local residents who visited the site during the conference.

Introduction The formal intergovernmental UNCED process yielded documents signed by heads of state: the "Rio Declaration," a statement of broad principles to guide national conduct on –Environmental protection and development –Treaties on climate change and biodiversity –A statement of forest principles –"Agenda 21," a massive document presenting detailed workplans for sustainable development, including goals, responsibilities, and estimates for funding.

Introduction Although the resultant compromise declaration is less inspiring and coherent than its original proponents had hoped, its 27 principles include key elements of the political agendas of both industrialized and developing countries. Principles in the document include –A state's sovereign right to exploit its own resources in accordance with its own policies, without harming the environment elsewhere (principle 2) –The right to development (principle 3) –Environmental protection as an integral part of development (principle 4)

Introduction –Sustainable development that requires reducing "unsustainable patterns of production and consumption," and that promotes "appropriate demographic policies" (principle 8) –Access to information and citizen participation (principle 10) –The polluter pays principle, including the internalization of costs and the use of economic instruments (principle 16).

Convention on Climate Change Because of UNCED's political prominence, many other international environmental debates were merged into the process, such as those of the conventions on climate change and biodiversity, which were not negotiated at UNCED but were signed in Rio following separate negotiations. Formal international discussion of a convention on climate change began in 1988 with the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an advisory body of scientists and officials that assessed comprehensively climate science, impacts, and response strategies. IPCC served as a forum for "prenegotiation," because many of its participants expected it to be followed by formal negotiations under the same authority

Convention on Climate Change The convention establishes a financial assistance mechanism to support its implementation in developing countries, to be administered by the Global Environmental Facility on an interim basis. The convention established institutional mechanisms for periodic review and an update of commitments, including the scheduling of regular conferences. Finally, two new subsidiary bodies were established by the treaty, one on science and technology and one on implementation. Like IPCC but unlike the Montreal protocol, membership in these bodies is restricted to government representatives

Convention on Biodiversity Discussions for a convention on biological diversity, or biodiversity, which concluded on 22 May 1992 in Nairobi, were initiated in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council. The treaty has three goals: the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and the fair sharing of products made from genestocks

Convention on Biodiversity To advance these goals, the signatories must –Develop plans for protecting habitat and species; provide funds and technology to help developing countries provide protection –Ensure commercial access to biological resources for development and share revenues fairly among source countries and developers –Establish safety regulations and accept liability for risks associated with biotechnology development.

Forest Principles When an early attempt to negotiate a treaty on the protection of global forests failed, the Preparation Committee added a legally nonbinding declaration on forests to its own agenda. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had discussed a forest treaty before the establishment of UNCED and recommended in November 1990 that a treaty be concluded in time for UNCED. Organized treaty negotiations never got under way, however, in part because governments widely mistrusted FAO but lacked an alternative forum. The final document merely commits governments to keeping the principles "under assessment for their adequacy with regard to further international cooperation on forest issues."

Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is the only document signed at UNCED that attempts to embrace the entire environment and development agenda. It is also the largest product of UNCED, comprising 40 chapters and 800 pages and states goals and priorities regarding a dozen major resource, environmental, social, legal, financial, and institutional issues. Each chapter contains a description of a program and its cost estimate. Agenda 21 is not a legally binding document but a "work plan," or "agenda for action," with a political commitment to pursue a set of goals.

Agenda 21 The chapters of Agenda 21 are divided into four major headings. The following is a list of the chapters –Section 1: Social and Economic Dimensions –Section 2: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development –Section 3: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups –Section 4: Means of Implementation