Earth Summit -1992

Introduction
Conference United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED), Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June
1992

Informal name The Earth Summit

Host Government Brazil

Number of Governments participating 172, 108 at level of heads of State or Government

Conference Secretary-General Maurice F. Strong, Canada

Organizers UNCED secretariat

Principal themes Environment and sustainable development

NGO presence 2,400 representatives of non-governmental

organizations (NGOs); 17,000 people attended the
parallel NGO Forum

Resulting document Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and

Development, the Statement of Forest Principles,
UNFCC,United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity

Previous conference UN Conference on the Human Environment,

Stockholm (1972)
 The Summit’s message
“Nothing less than a transformation of our attitudes and
behaviour would bring about the necessary changes”

The message reflected the complexity of

the problems facing us: that poverty as
well as excessive consumption by affluent
populations place damaging stress on the
environment.
Major Challenges at the Earth
Summit
 Background for the Earth
Summit

• at the UN Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, the Conference,

Governments set up the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which today
continues to act as a global catalyst for action to protect the environment.

• By 1983, the UN set up the World Commission on Environment and Development.

which had been seen as a side effect of industrial wealth with only a limited impact, was
understood to be a matter of survival for developing nations.

After considering the 1987 Brundtland report, the UN General Assembly called for the UN
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
 The Earth Summit Agreements

(1) Agenda 21

(2) The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

(3) The Statement of Forest Principles

(4) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change

(5) The Convention on Biological Diversity

 Agenda21
• It addresses today’s 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 and for conserving and managing the natural resources that
are the basis for life.

• The programme of action also recommends ways to strengthen the

part played by major groups — women, trade unions, farmers,
children and young people,
 The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

• 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 measures to prevent environmental

degradation where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage.

• That States have a sovereign right to exploit their own resources but not to cause
damage to the environment of other States.

• That eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in worldwide standards of

living are “indispensable” for sustainable development.

• That the full participation of women is essential for achieving sustainable

development.

• That the developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the
international pursuit of 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
.

• All countries, notably developed countries, should make an effort to

“green the world” through reforestation and forest conservation.

•The 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 that encourage economic and social substitution policies
 The United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change

• The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse

gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent
dangerous human interference with the climate system.

• An important achievement was an agreement on the Climate

Change Convention which in turn led to the Kyoto Protocol.
 The Convention on Biological Diversity

•The treaty defines biodiversity as "the variability among living

organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine
and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which
they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species
and of ecosystems.

• It made a start towards redefinition of money supply measures

that did not inherently encourage destruction of
natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic growth.
Thank
You Anuj K Srivastava
MBA(E-Business)
(1st semester)