AGENDA 21

AGENDA 21

Ø  Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development.

Ø  It is a product of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.

Ø  It is an action agenda for the UN, other multilateral organizations, and individual governments around the world that can be executed at local, national, and global levels.

Ø  The "21" in Agenda 21 refers to the 21st century. It has been affirmed and modified at subsequent UN conferences.

Ø  Agenda 21 is a 300-page document divided into 40 chapters that have been grouped into 4 sections:

Section I: Social and Economic Dimensions

This section is directed toward combating poverty, especially in developing countries, changing consumption patterns, promoting health, achieving a more sustainable population, and sustainable settlement in decision making.

Section II: Conservation and Management of Resources for Development

This section includes atmospheric protection, combating deforestation, protecting fragile environments, conservation of biological diversity (biodiversity), control of pollution and the management of biotechnology, and radioactive wastes.

Section III: Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

This section includes the roles of children and youth, women, NGOs, local authorities, business and workers and strengthening the role of indigenous peoples, their communities, and farmers.

Section IV: Means of Implementation

Means of implementation includes science, technology transfer, education, international institutions and financial mechanisms.

Ø  In 1997, the UN General Assembly held a special session to appraise the status of Agenda 21 (Rio +5).

Ø  The Assembly recognized progress as "uneven" and identified key trends, including increasing globalization, widening inequalities in income, and continued deterioration of the global environment.

Ø  The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2002 or Rio+10) affirmed UN commitment to "full implementation" of Agenda 21, alongside achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other international agreements.

Ø  In 2012, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), the attending members reaffirmed their commitment to Agenda 21 in their outcome document called "The Future We Want".

Ø  The Commission on Sustainable Development acts as a high-level forum on sustainable development and has acted as preparatory committee for summits and sessions on the implementation of Agenda 21.

Ø  The UN Division for Sustainable Development acts as the secretariat to the Commission and works "within the context of" Agenda 21.

Ø  The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs' Division for Sustainable Development monitors and evaluates progress, nation by nation, towards the adoption of Agenda 21, and makes these reports available to the public on its website

Ø  The United States is a signatory country to Agenda 21, but because Agenda 21 is not a treaty, the Senate was unable to hold a formal debate or vote on it, nor was it ratified in any way by the executive branch.

Ø  During the last decade, opposition to Agenda 21 has increased within the United States at the local, state, and federal levels. The Republican National Committee has adopted a resolution opposing Agenda 21, and the Republican Party platform stated that "We strongly reject the U.N. Agenda 21 as erosive of American sovereignty."