Global Agreements I: Agenda 21

"...current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class - involving high meat intake, use of fossil fuels, appliances, home and work-place air-conditioning, and suburban housing - are not sustainable. A shift is necessary, which will require a vast strengthening of the multilateral system, including the United Nations..." [1]

Maurice Strong , opening speech at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development.

Important initiatives for a sustainable society are written by organizations of the United Nations. They function as references for regional, national and local initiatives. One by one these global agreements or commitments will be presented here as frames of reference for sectoral or integrated national development. The first one of these is AGENDA 21.

Agenda 21, the UN blueprint for global transformation, sounds good to many well meaning people. Drafted for the purpose of creating "sustainable societies", it has been welcomed by nations around the world. Political, cultural, and media leaders have embraced its alluring visions of social justice and a healthy planet. They hide the lies behind its doomsday scenarios and fraudulent science. Relatively few consider the contrary facts and colossal costs.

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the United Nations System, Governments, and Major Groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment.

Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992.

The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created in December 1992 to ensure effective follow-up of UNCED, to monitor and report on implementation of the agreements at the local, national, regional and international levels. It was agreed that a five year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session.

The full implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the Commitments to the Rio principles, were strongly reaffirmed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September 2002.

National information includes information submitted annually in national reports by member States to the Commission on Sustainable Development. Also included are 2002 Country Profiles and 2002 National Assessment Reports prepared for the Johannesburg World Summit, as well as 1997 Country Profiles prepared for the Five-Year Review of the Earth Summit.