Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
Name	Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
Formation	1990
Type	United Nations conference secretariat
Location	Rio de Janeiro, New York City
Leader title	Executive Secretary
Leader name	Maurice Strong
Parent organization	United Nations

Contents

Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development The Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development served as the administrative and technical body that prepared the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It coordinated inputs from United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, United Nations General Assembly, and national delegations including United States, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, and China. The Secretariat worked closely with prominent figures such as Maurice Strong, representatives from European Commission, African Union, Organization of American States, and leaders from Non-Aligned Movement and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Background and Mandate

The Secretariat was established in the lead-up to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development following resolutions adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and requests from the United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Development Programme. Its mandate encompassed arranging negotiations for principal outcome documents including the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Convention on Biological Diversity, while liaising with multilateral institutions like the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Health Organization, and regional bodies such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Secretariat’s charge included organizing preparatory meetings, technical committees, and consultations with civil society actors including Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, Friends of the Earth, and indigenous representatives from International Indian Treaty Council and Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin.

The Secretariat operated under an Executive Secretary, notably Maurice Strong, supported by deputies and directors drawn from United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Office for Project Services, and specialized agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the International Labour Organization. Its structure included divisions for finance, legal affairs, scientific assessment, and conference services, staffed by secondees from member states such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and Mexico. The Secretariat coordinated standing committees and working groups that engaged negotiators from blocs like the European Union, the Group of 77, the Least Developed Countries, and the Alliance of Small Island States, while consulting experts from institutions including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Global Environment Facility, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and World Resources Institute.

The Secretariat played a pivotal role in drafting, editing, and finalizing Agenda 21, acting as the secretariat for negotiating sessions that included delegations from United States, Russia, China, Brazil, and members of the Commonwealth of Nations. It facilitated text convergence for the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Statement of Forest Principles by organizing expert panels with participation from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiators, Convention on Biological Diversity delegates, and representatives from Convention to Combat Desertification processes. The Secretariat coordinated inputs from international research centers such as Stockholm Environment Institute, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Centre for International Forestry Research, and policy bodies like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to synthesize technical annexes and implementation guidance tied to Agenda 21.

The Secretariat served as the coordination hub linking United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Bank, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization to ensure unified preparatory outputs for the Rio conference. It mediated between national delegations including Norway, Nigeria, Argentina, Indonesia, and regional commissions such as the Economic Commission for Europe, Economic Commission for Africa, and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Secretariat also engaged multilateral environmental agreements secretariats, legal counsels from the International Court of Justice and technical advisers from International Maritime Organization and World Meteorological Organization to harmonize legal and technical language across treaty texts and policy instruments.

Key outputs produced or facilitated by the Secretariat included finalized drafts of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on Biological Diversity, Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of Forest Principles. It organized global preparatory conferences, national consultations, and regional meetings that drew participants from European Commission, African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Caribbean Community. The Secretariat published technical background papers, negotiated text compilations, and logistical reports used by negotiating delegations from Canada, India, China, South Africa, and civil society organizations including World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club.

The Secretariat’s legacy includes enabling the adoption of foundational instruments such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, influencing subsequent summits including the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. Its work catalyzed creation of institutional mechanisms like the Global Environment Facility and strengthened links among United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, and financial institutions such as the World Bank. Criticisms targeted perceived influence by prominent figures such as Maurice Strong, questions about transparency involving non-governmental organizations and business delegations including representatives from multinational corporations, and debates over equity raised by blocs such as the Group of 77 and Alliance of Small Island States. Scholars and policymakers from Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and London School of Economics have analyzed the Secretariat’s role in shaping global environmental governance, noting both the Secretariat’s facilitation successes and contested decisions during negotiation processes.