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The Rio Conventions
The Rio Conventions are the three UN conventions opened for signature during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (also known as “The Earth Summit”) on 3-14 June, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: UN Convention on Biological Diversity, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and UN Convention to Combat Desertification.
108 Heads of States attended The Earth Summit. The Summit adopted three major agreements aimed at changing the traditional approach to development:
- Agenda 21 — a comprehensive programme for global action in all areas of sustainable development.
- The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development — a series of principles defining the rights and responsibilities of States for environmental protection and achieving sustainable development.
- The Statement of Forest Principles — a set of principles to underlie the sustainable management of forests worldwide.
The Earth Summit influenced all subsequent UN conferences, since socio-economic issues were no longer tackled separately from the need for environmentally sustainable development.
