United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the Earth Summit, was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 3-14, 1992. The conference was attended by representatives from United Nations Member States, including Maurice Strong, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, as well as non-governmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The conference aimed to address pressing environmental issues, such as climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss, and to promote sustainable development, as advocated by Barbara Ward and René Dubos. The conference was a follow-up to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, which was attended by Indira Gandhi, Olof Palme, and Willy Brandt.

● Introduction

The United Nations General Assembly decided to convene the conference in 1989, with the support of United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar and the United Nations Environment Programme, led by Mostafa Tolba. The conference was organized by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Secretariat, headed by Maurice Strong, with the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank. The conference brought together representatives from United Nations Member States, including George H.W. Bush, John Major, and Helmut Kohl, as well as non-governmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and the World Resources Institute, founded by James Gustave Speth. The conference also featured speeches by Al Gore, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Nelson Mandela.

● Background

The conference was held against the backdrop of growing concerns about the state of the environment, including the ozone layer depletion, acid rain, and the loss of biodiversity, as highlighted by Rachel Carson and Paul Ehrlich. The conference built on the work of earlier United Nations conferences, such as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and the United Nations Water Conference, held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1977, which was attended by Anwar El-Sadat and Jimmy Carter. The conference also drew on the expertise of international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the International Labour Organization, led by Michel Hansenne. The conference was influenced by the work of environmentalists such as Jacques Cousteau, Chico Mendes, and Wangari Maathai, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

● Objectives_and_Outcomes

The conference had several objectives, including the promotion of sustainable development, the protection of the environment, and the eradication of poverty, as advocated by Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz. The conference resulted in the adoption of several key documents, including the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, the Forest Principles, and the Convention on Biological Diversity, which was signed by United Nations Member States, including China, India, and Brazil. The conference also led to the establishment of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, which was chaired by Bedrich Moldan and Joke Waller-Hunter. The conference outcomes were influenced by the work of economists such as Robert Solow and Partha Dasgupta, and scientists such as James Hansen and Stephen Schneider.

● Participation_and_Representation

The conference was attended by representatives from United Nations Member States, including heads of state and heads of government, as well as non-governmental organizations and indigenous peoples organizations, such as the Inuit Circumpolar Conference and the Amazon Conservation Association. The conference featured speeches by world leaders such as George H.W. Bush, John Major, and Helmut Kohl, as well as environmental leaders such as Al Gore and Wangari Maathai. The conference also included the participation of international organizations such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization, led by Pascal Lamy. The conference was covered by media organizations such as the BBC, CNN, and The New York Times, which featured articles by Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristof.

● Agenda_21

One of the key outcomes of the conference was the adoption of Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action for sustainable development, which was influenced by the work of Barbara Ward and René Dubos. Agenda 21 sets out a framework for action on a range of issues, including climate change, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable agriculture, as advocated by Lester Brown and Hans Herren. The implementation of Agenda 21 is supported by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank, which have worked with governments and non-governmental organizations to promote sustainable development, including the Government of China, the Government of India, and the European Union. The implementation of Agenda 21 has also been influenced by the work of scientists such as James Lovelock and Amory Lovins.

● Legacy_and_Impact

The conference has had a significant legacy and impact, including the promotion of sustainable development and the protection of the environment, as advocated by Gro Harlem Brundtland and Maurice Strong. The conference led to the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which was signed by United Nations Member States, including United States, China, and European Union, and has been influenced by the work of Al Gore and James Hansen. The conference also influenced the development of the Millennium Development Goals, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000, and have been supported by Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. The conference has also had an impact on the development of international environmental law, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, which have been influenced by the work of Gérard Bertrand and Donald Kaniaru. The conference has been followed by several other United Nations conferences, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, and the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012, which was attended by Ban Ki-moon, Sha Zukang, and Dilma Rousseff.

Category:United Nations conferences