United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was a landmark global summit held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 that gathered heads of state, ministers, diplomats, and civil society to address planetary environmental challenges and sustainable development. The meeting linked issues addressed by earlier gatherings like the Stockholm Conference and influenced later negotiations such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. It produced major international instruments and set agendas that shaped the work of bodies like the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme.

Background and preparation

Preparations drew on precedents including the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972), the Brundtland Commission (formally the World Commission on Environment and Development), and the World Conservation Strategy, coordinated through agencies like the United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Development Programme, and the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Regional preparatory meetings invoked participants from European Economic Community, Organization of African Unity, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and regional commissions such as the Economic Commission for Europe and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Key figures involved in preparatory diplomacy included Gro Harlem Brundtland, Maurice Strong, Margaret Thatcher, George H. W. Bush, and representatives of the European Commission. Non-state actors such as Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Resources Institute, and indigenous organizations worked alongside labor groups like the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and business associations including the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to draft proposals and mobilize public opinion.

Conference proceedings

The Rio meeting convened at Riocentro with participation from heads of state from countries such as Brazil, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, China, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, and delegations from Russia. Opening addresses referenced earlier summits including the Brundtland Report and diplomatic milestones like the Montreal Protocol and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Formal sessions included negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly and parallel fora hosted by non-governmental organization networks, the Business Council for Sustainable Development, indigenous peoples' caucuses, and youth movements influenced by activists from Amnesty International and Sierra Club. Diplomatic activity involved negotiators from the Group of 77, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the European Union, and the Alliance of Small Island States, with chairing by officials from Brazilian government and coordination by the United Nations Secretary-General and the conference secretariat led by Maurice Strong. Side events featured scientific contributions from institutions including Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Health Organization, International Maritime Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Major outcomes and agreements

The conference produced the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the programmatic plan Agenda 21, the legally binding United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It also endorsed principles later informing instruments such as the Aarhus Convention and inspired regional treaties including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Non-binding outcomes included statements on Forest Principles and commitments to sustainable management by entities like the International Labour Organization and the World Bank. Leaders agreed to establish follow-up mechanisms within the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and to negotiate future protocols exemplified by the Kyoto Protocol under the UNFCCC and the Nagoya Protocol under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The summit elevated issues on agendas of multilateral institutions including the International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization, and regional development banks such as the Inter-American Development Bank.

Implementation and follow-up

Post-summit implementation involved treaty negotiations, institution-building, and national strategy development. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change led to conferences of the parties under the Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC) and mechanisms culminating in the Kyoto Protocol and later the Paris Agreement. The Convention on Biological Diversity guided national biodiversity strategies and the creation of protocols such as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Nagoya Protocol. The United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development monitored Agenda 21 implementation until responsibilities shifted to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). Financial mechanisms included pledges from the Global Environment Facility and engagement by institutions such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, and regional entities like the Asian Development Bank and the African Development Bank. Civil society continued oversight through coalitions including EarthSummit2002 participants, indigenous networks represented by International Indian Treaty Council, and non-governmental organizations such as Oxfam, CARE International, and ActionAid.

Criticisms and controversies

Critics argued that major outcomes were compromised by interests represented by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, multinational corporations including those in Chevron Corporation and ExxonMobil sectors, and trade institutions like the World Trade Organization, leading to tensions with the Group of 77 and Alliance of Small Island States. Environmental advocates such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth criticized weaknesses in commitments on deforestation and fossil fuel phase-downs and contested the influence of business groups like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Northern–Southern debates involved figures from Non-Aligned Movement delegations and policy positions of leaders including Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev. Procedural controversies concerned transparency and access raised by Amnesty International and indigenous delegates linked to organizations such as the International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs and the World Council of Indigenous Peoples. Implementation shortfalls were highlighted by researchers at Stockholm Environment Institute, World Resources Institute, and the International Institute for Environment and Development, prompting later reviews at summits including Johannesburg Summit and Rio+20.

Category:1992 conferences