The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro was unprecedented in scale
for a UN conference, concerning both its size and the scope
of its concerns. In 1992, twenty years after the first global
environment conference in Stockholm, the Rio Summit brought
global attention to the interdependence of environmental,
social and economic problems. It aimed to outline an agenda
for future action on environmental and developmental issues,
which would bring sustainable development closer through integrating
and balancing environmental, social and economic concerns.
Five multilateral agreements were signed at the Summit, two
of which, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Framework
Convention on Climate Change are legally binding for all participating
parties. The other three documents are non-binding statements:
the Rio
Declaration setting 27 principles to guide international
action on the basis of global responsibility towards sustainable
development, the Agenda
21 providing a broad-ranging programme of actions in various
sectors and the Statement
on Forest Principles with 15 principles for the protection
and more sustainable use of global forest resources.
The Rio Conventions
Following the Earth Summit, four additional multilateral
environmental agreements were adopted that can be regarded
as Rio outcomes. The six agreements focus on specific aspects
of the necessary global actions and approaches identified
by Agenda 21 and the Rio Principles. The objectives identified
by the Rio Conventions:
The objectives of the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) are the conservation of
biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components
and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising
out of the utilization of genetic resources. Read
more about the CBD >>
The Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety, which entered into force in September
2003, establishes a regulatory framework to ensure an adequate
level of protection in the field of the safe transfer, handling
and use of living modified organisms (GMOs).
The objective of the Framework
Convention on Climate Change is to stabilise the concentrations
of green house gases (e.g. carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perflurocarbons and sulphur hexafluride)
in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous
man-made interference with the climate system.
The Convention
to Combat Desertification aims to combat desertification
and mitigate the effects of drought in the framework of an
integrated approach. Achieving this aim shall involve long-term
integrated strategies that focus simultaneously on improved
productivity of land, and the rehabilitation, conservation
and sustainable management of land and water resources. The
Regional
Implementation Annex for Central and Eastern Europe provides
guidelines and arrangements for the effective implementation
of the Convention in this region, taking into consideration
its particular conditions.
The objective of the Rotterdam
Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade,
which entered into force in February 2004, is to promote shared
responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the
international trade of certain hazardous chemicals and to
contribute to their environmentally sound use. Under the provisions
of the Convention the export of a chemical covered by the
Convention can only take place with the prior informed consent
of the importing party.
The Convention
on Persistent Organic Pollutants to enter into force in
May 2004 aims to protect human health and the environment
from persistent organic pollutants. Most chemicals of the
initial target list of twelve POPs, including eight pesticides,
two industrial chemicals and two by-products of combustion
and industrial processes will be banned immediately. Besides,
the convention focuses on cleaning up the growing accumulation
of stockpiles of pesticides and toxic chemicals in the world.
The Straddling
and Migratory Fish Stocks Agreement, or the “Agreement
for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Relating to the
Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and
Highly Migratory Fish Stocks” is a part of UNCLOS and
aims ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use
of straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocksthrough
effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the
Convention.
CEEWEB is working for the implementation of Convention of
Biodiversity. Read more >>
