UNCED

UNCED stands for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. It was held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to 14, 1992, and was convened by the United Nations to address the relationship between environmental protection and economic development. The conference brought together representatives from many governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders, and is widely regarded as a turning point in the global discourse on sustainable development.

The conference produced several key outputs. Agenda 21 offered a comprehensive action plan for sustainable development at local, national, and global levels. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development set out 27 principles to guide future policy, and the Statement of Forest Principles articulated international norms for forest management. UNCED also led to the negotiation and adoption of three major international environmental treaties known collectively as the Rio conventions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. In addition, UNCED established follow-up mechanisms, including the creation of the Commission on Sustainable Development to monitor and coordinate implementation at the United Nations.

Impact and assessment note that UNCED helped embed sustainable development as a central concept in international policy and development planning. It spurred new governance structures and norms, but implementation has faced criticisms related to funding gaps, varying national capacities, and challenges in translating principles into concrete actions across regions and sectors.