Rio Summit or Rio Earth Sumit

UNCED or Earth Summit 1992, Rio De Janeiro Brazil

• Earth Summit 1992 is also known as The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
• Earth Summit 1992 succeeded in raising public awareness of the need to integrate environment and development.
• 190 countries pledged their commitment to achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and local levels.
• As a follow-up, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10) was held in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was also held in Rio and is also commonly called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012.

The issues touched included:

• checking production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals,
• alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels,
• new reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities,
• the health problems caused by polluted air and smoke, and
• the growing usage and limited supply of water. 
  

The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:

1. Rio Declaration: principles intended to guide countries in future sustainable development.
2. Agenda 21: non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.
3. Forest Principles: Non-legally binding document on Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests. 
   

Landmark Agreements

• An important achievement of the summit was an agreement on the Climate Change Convention which in turn led to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
• Important legally binding agreements (Rio Convention) were opened for signature:
• Convention on Biological Diversity.
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Agenda 21

• Agenda 21 is a non-binding action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development.
• It was an outcome of the Earth Summit 1992.
• The number 21 refers to an agenda for the 21st century.
• Its aim is achieving global sustainable development.
• Since 2015, Sustainable Development Goals are included in the Agenda 2030.

Rio Declarations

1. Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002

• Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002 or World Summit on Sustainable Development.
• Took place in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002.
• Rio+10 affirmed UN commitment to Agenda 21, alongside the Millennium Development Goals.
• Johannesburg Declaration: committing the nations of the world to sustainable development.
• It was a 10 Year follow up of RIO summit
• It mentions the full implementations of the Agenda 21, overarching goal for institutions at the national levels.
  

 2. Rio+20 (2012)

• Rio+20 (2012) or United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
• Rio+20 was a 20-year follow-up to the Earth Summit 1992 and 10-year follow-up to the Earth Summit 2002.
• It is also known as Rio 2012 or Earth Summit 2012.
• Hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in 2012.
• It reaffirmed the commitment to Agenda 21.
• It was the third international conference on sustainable development

Note:

Earth Summit 1992 (Rio de Janeiro) = UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
Earth Summit 2002 (Johannesburg) = World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)
Earth Summit 2012 (Rio de Janeiro) = UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

• The Convention stemmed from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21 in 1994.
• UNCCD is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs (NAP).
• National action programs (NAP) incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation.
• It is the only internationally legally binding framework set up to address desertification.
• It was adopted in Paris, France in 1994 and entered into force in 1996.
• It has 196 parties, making it truly global in reach.
• 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.
• The UN Convention to Combat Desertification has established a Committee on Science and Technology (CST).
• CST is composed of government representatives competent in the fields of expertise relevant to combating desertification and mitigating the effects of drought.
• UNCCD collaborates closely with Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).