THE RIO EARTH SUMMIT 1992

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the
Rio Earth Summit, the Rio Summit, the Rio Conference and the Earth Summit, was a major
United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from March 3-14. June 1992. A total of
172 governments participated, of which 116 sent their heads of state or heads of government.
Approximately 2,400 representatives from various non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
attended, and the parallel NGO forum, which made recommendations for an Earth Summit, was
attended by 17,000 NGO representatives. The enormous interest and participation of countries
and NGOs in the Earth Summit signaled a shift in global attitudes towards the environment.
Scientific evidence indicates that the pollution and depletion of natural resources in one country
can have a significant impact on the environment in another country or the entire planet. At the
Earth Summit, world leaders formalized plans and policies to protect the environment with the
participation of countries, local authorities and NGOs.

Outcomes

The 1992 Earth Summit produced several long-term reports and action plans that continue to
serve as the basis for international action on environmental issues, including the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (Earth Summit in 2002) and the Kyoto Protocol. These talks led to
the development of the following documents:

1. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

2. Agenda 21.
3. Forest Management Principles

Below is a brief description of each of these documents.

1. Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development is a set of principles defining the rights
and obligations of States to protect the environment and sustainable development. It states that
nations have the right to exploit natural resources within their borders as long as their actions do
not affect the environment of other countries. It also encourages all national and local
governments to develop and implement plans to conserve the environment and natural resources
for future generations.

2. Agenda 21

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan for intergovernmental organizations, central governments,

local governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to collaborate on sustainable
development. It is a massive document with 40 chapters divided into 4 sections. The four
chapters are:

i. Social and economic dimensions

It is particularly directed in alleviating poverty in developing countries, changing consumption

patterns, protecting and promoting health, achieving sustainable population and sustainable
human settlement development, making decisions for sustainable development and international
cooperation.

ii. Conservation and management of resources for development

It includes air protection, sustainable land management, combating deforestation, combating

desertification and drought, sustainable agriculture and rural development, biodiversity
conservation, biotechnology management, marine protection and management, hazardous waste
management, solid waste and wastewater management, freshwater protection and management,
radioactive waste management.

iii. Strengthening the role of major groups.

This includes the role of women, youth and children in sustainable development, NGOs, local
authorities, businesses, industries and workers and strengthening the role of indigenous people,
their communities and farmers.

iv. Means of implementation

Implementation includes financing sustainable development, technology transfer, promoting

education, public awareness and training.
Agenda 21 also recognized that developing nations and developed nations both contribute to
environmental degradation. Poorer nations often have restrictive environmental regulations and
focus on economic development. Despite stronger environmental regulations, developed nations
have patterns of production and consumption that pollute the environment. Agenda 21 therefore
addressed environmental issues through detailed socio-economic proposals. It proposes to solve
environmental problems by alleviating poverty, conserving and managing natural resources,
preventing deforestation, promoting sustainable agriculture, changing production and
consumption patterns, and protecting the air and oceans. The United Nations Commission on
Sustainable Development has primary responsibility for the implementation of Agenda 21.

3. Forest Management Principles

The Forest Management Principles Statement calls for the sustainable management of forests
around the world. It is aimed to protect and preserve the endangered tropical rain forest. Forest
principles is a nonbinding statement recommending that nations monitor and assess the impact of
development on their forest resources and take steps to limit the damage done to them.

The Rio principles also produced two international environmental treaties. They are as follows;

i. Convention on Biological Diversity

ii. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Convention on
Biological Diversity (UNFCCC)

1) Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was the first international treaty to address preservation
of biological diversity. Over 180 countries have signed the Convention on Biological Diversity.
It has three primary goals.

i. Biodiversity Conservation.
ii. Sustainable use of biodiversity components.
iii. Fair and equitable distribution of benefits from the use of biological resources.

To achieve this goal, the Convention on Biodiversity balances the economic realities of the
sustainable use of natural resources with traditional conservation efforts.
 2) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international

convention proposed at the Earth Summit in Rio. UNFCCC aims to combat global climate
change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The UNFCCC has been ratified by more than 190
countries. The stated purpose of the UNFCCC is to allow governments to perform the following
acts;

i. Gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions.

ii. National policies and effective practices
iii. Launch National strategies for addressing greenhouse gas emissions
iv. Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of global climate change

The UNFCCC includes a provision whereby developed countries provide financial and
technological support for developing nations to address global climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol is the most well-known far reaching action taken under United Nation
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is an international treaty that seeks to
stabilize greenhouse gas emissions by committing countries to specific greenhouse goals. The
Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the third conference of parties (COP) to UNFCCC in 1997, the
treaty went to effect in February 2005. The agreement requires developed countries to reduce
their greenhouse gas emissions to 5° below 1990 levels, which places a heavy burden on
developed countries for two reasons. First, these countries have the economic resources to pay to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions through technological advances. Second, developed countries
have historically produced more greenhouse gases.

CONCLUSION

The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro concluded that the concept of sustainable development is a
goal that can be achieved by all peoples around the world, regardless of local, national, regional
or international level. The conference also recognized that integrating and balancing economic,
social and environmental dimensions requires a new awareness of how we produce and consume,
how we live, work and make decisions.
REFERENCES

(1992). The Earth Summit: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED). London: Graham & Trotman / Martinus Nijhoff.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. (1992). Agenda 21, Rio
Declaration, Forest Management Principles. New York: United Nations.