RIO Summit 1992

UN Conference on Environment and Development /Earth Summit/ RIO Conference-1992
“We cannot betray future generations. They will judge us harshly if we fail at this critical moment. (Gro Harlem
Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway, UNCED, 1992)”
Every bit of evidence I've seen persuades me we are on a course leading to tragedy. I don't agree with those
who say the status quo is the answer. (UNCED Secretary General Maurice F. Strong, UNCED, 1992)
Introduction
• Held in Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992

• Known at the time as the Earth Summit/ Later came to be called the Rio Conference
• The conference sought agreement on concrete measures to reconcile economic activities with protection of
the planet to ensure a sustainable future for all people.
• Three major agreements adopted
o Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, a series of principles defining the rights and
responsibilities of States
o Agenda 21, a global plan of action to promote sustainable development
o Statement of Forest Principles, a set of principles to underpin the sustainable management of forests
worldwide
• Two multilateral treaties were opened for signature:
o United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
o Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Called for several major initiatives in other key areas of sustainable development, such as, a global
conference on Small Island Developing States; negotiations began for a Convention to Combat
Desertification, and for an agreement on highly migratory and straddling fish stocks
At United Nation Convention on Earth Development- UNCED, 172 countries attended the summit, more than
130 nations signed a Convention on Climate Change(UNFCC) and a Convention on Biodiversity(CBD). All
nations present accepted without change the Rio Declaration, a non-binding statement of broad principles for
environmental policy
In order to ensure compliance to the agreements at Rio, delegates to the Earth Summit established
the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). In 2013, the CSD was replaced by the High-level Political
Forum on Sustainable Development
Achievements of Rio Summits
1) The Earth Summits Agreements:
In Rio, Governments adopted three majors’ agreements aimed at changing the traditional approach to
development.
i) Agenda 21
a) Agenda 21 (21 refers to 21st century) address today’s pressing problems and aims to prepare the world
for the challenge of the next century.
b) It’s contained detailed proposals for action in economic and social dimensions (such as combating
poverty, changing patterns of production and consumption and addressing demographic dynamics)
c) And for conserving and managing the natural resources that are basic of life (such as protecting the
atmosphere, oceans and biodiversity)
d) It calls for strengthening the role of major groups like children and youth in sustainable development,
role of women and equitable development, recognizing the role of indigenous people and their
communities.
ii) Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
a) Its supports agenda 21 by defining the rights and responsibilities of states. Among its principles were
1. Human beings entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
2. States have right to exploit their own resources without causing damage to the environment.
3. The right to development must be fulfilled to needs of present and future generations.
4. to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall be part of the development
5. States and people shall cooperate to eradicating poverty
6. The needs of developing and environmentally vulnerable countries, shall be given special
priority.
7. States shall cooperate to conserve integrity of the Earth's ecosystem and states have common
but differentiated responsibilities.
8. States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption
9. States should cooperate capacity-building for sustainable development
10. States shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making information
widely available
11. States shall enact effective environmental legislation.
12. States should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system
13. States shall develop national law regarding liability and compensation for the victims of
pollution and other environmental damage.
14. States should prohibit relocation and transfer to other States, of any activities and substances
that cause severe environmental degradation or are found to be harmful to human health.
15. precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States Where there are threats of serious or
irreversible environmental damage.
16. National authorities should take into account the approach that the polluter should, in principle,
bear the cost of pollution,
17. Environmental impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be undertaken.
18. States shall immediately notify other States of any natural disasters or other emergencies that
are likely to produce sudden harmful effects on the environment of those States
19. States shall notify potentially affected States on activities that may have transboundary
environmental effect
20. Women participation is essential to achieve sustainable development.
21. The creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world should be mobilized.
22. States should recognize and duly support their identity Indigenous people
23. The environment and natural resources of people under oppression, domination and occupation
shall be protected.
24. States shall protect the environment in times of armed conflict.
25. States shall resolve all their environmental disputes peacefully
26. States and people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of partnership in the
27. fulfillment of the principles embodied in this Declaration
iii) The Statement of Forest Principles

a) A non-legally binding statement o principles for the sustainable management of forest, was
the first global consensus reached on forest. Among its provision were
b) That all countries, notably developed countries, should make an effort to “green the world”
through restoration and forest conservation.
c) That states have right to develop forest according to their socio-economic needs,in keeping
with national sustainable development policies
d) That specific financial resources should be provided to develop programs that encourages
social substitution policies.
2) The Earth Summits Conventions
In Rio, three majors’ legally binding treaties were open for signature
i) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

a) It was opened for signature on 5th June 1992 during earth summit and it entered into force on 29th
Dec 1993. 198 countries signed the convention, while US signed it initially but didn’t ratified it.
b) The objectives of the CBD are conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its
components, fair and equitable share of benefits and national strategy for the conservation of
biodiversity.
c) The governing body for the CBD is COP (conference of parties)
d) The proceedings under CBD are as follows
1992- Agreement on Convention to conserve biological diversity
2000- The ‘Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety’ regulates the transport of genetically modified
organism
2002 Parties to the CBD set a goal to halt the decline in biodiversity by 2010
2010 The Aichi targets’ set specific goals for reducing threats to biodiversity
2012 Inter-governmental platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service is launched to
provide scientific input to CBD
ii) United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)

a) It was opened for signature on 4 June 1992 during the earth summit and entered into force on 21
March 1994. The UNFCCC has 197 parties as of December 2015
b) The objective of UNFCC is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system".
c) It requires all parties to submit national greenhouse gas inventories. It aims taking the greenhouse
gases to 1990 benchmark levels
d) The governing body for the UNFCC is COP (conference of parties)
e) The proceedings under UNFCC are as follows
1992- Adoption of the treaty
1997- The Kyoto Protocol limits GHG emissions from industrialized countries
2005- The Kyoto Protocol enters into force without US, which declines to ratify.
2009- China, India and developing nations agreed to limit GHG emission
2015- Paris Agreement to decrees GHG
iii) UN Convention to Combat Desertification
a) The Convention was adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force on 26 December
1996. The UNCCD has 197 parties
b) The objective was, "to reverse and prevent desertification/land degradation and to mitigate
the effects of drought in affected areas in order to support poverty reduction and
environmental sustainability"
c) The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas,
known as the drylands.
d) UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework set goal to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
in order to restore the productivity of degraded land
3) Issue Addressed
• Systematic scrutiny patterns of production, especially the production of toxic components
• Alternate source of energy to replace fossil fuels.
• New reliance of public transportation to limit vehicular emission.
• Grow scarcity of water.
4) Conclusion
• Before the conference, secretary general UNCED, Mr. Strong, define success as an extra $10b a year
from western countries to finance commitments in the third world commitments. Only $5b collected.
• At its close, Mr. strong, called the summit a ‘historic moment for humanity’
• Following the summit, Green Cross International was founded by Mikhail Gorbachev as second to Red
cross for environment.

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RIO Summit 1992

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UN Conference on Environment and Development /Earth Summit/ RIO Conference-1992

• Held in Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992

Achievements of Rio Summits

1) The Earth Summits Agreements:

iii) The Statement of Forest Principles

i) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

ii) United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)

iii) UN Convention to Combat Desertification

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