UN Documentation: Environment

UN activity in the field of environment has been driven by major conferences and reports. 

• UN Conference on the Human Environment (1972)
• World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)
• United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)
• General Assembly Special Session on the Environment (1997)
• World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002)
• UN Conference on Sustainable Development (2012)
• UN Sustainable Development Summit (2015)

• Economic and Social Council resolution 1346 (XLV) of 30 July 1968 recommended the General Assembly consider convening a UN conference on problems of the human environment.
• Conference convened by General Assembly resolution 2398 (XXIII) of 3 December 1968
• Held in Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972
• Led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Outcome document: A/CONF.48/14/Rev.1 

• Established by General Assembly resolution 38/161 of 19 December 1983
• Prepared a report for General Assembly in 1987
  • Based on a four-year study
  • Transmitted by A/42/427
  • Entitled Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland report
  • Developed the theme of sustainable development

• Convened by General Assembly resolution 44/228 of 20 December 1988
• Held in Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992
• Known at the time as the Earth Summit
• Later came to be called the Rio Conference
• Led to the establishment of the Commission on Sustainable Development
• Outcome document in 3 volumes: A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1
  • Vol.I + Corr.1: Resolutions adopted by the Conference
  • Vol.II: Proceedings of the Conference
  • Vol.III + Corr.1: Statements made by Heads of State or Government at the summit segment of the Conference
• Three major agreements adopted (found in Vol.I + Corr.1):
  • Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, a series of principles defining the rights and responsibilities of States
  • Agenda 21, a global plan of action to promote sustainable development
  • Statement of Forest Principles, a set of principles to underpin the sustainable management of forests worldwide
• Two multilateral treaties were opened for signature:
  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  • Convention on Biological Diversity
• Called for several major initiatives in other key areas of sustainable development, such as, a global conference on Small Island Developing States; negotiations began for a Convention to Combat Desertification, and for an agreement on highly migratory and straddling fish stocks.

• Called for by General Assembly resolutions 47/190 and 51/181
• Known as the Earth Summit +5
• 19th special session of the General Assembly
• Held in New York, 23-27 June 1997
• Review of the implementation of Agenda 21
• Outcome document: General Assembly resolution S-19/2 of 27 June 1997, Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21.

• Convened by General Assembly resolution 55/199 of 20 December 2000
• Also known as Rio +10
• Held in Johannesburg, 26 August - 4 September 2002
• Reviewed progress in the implementation of Agenda 21 since its adoption in 1992
• WSSD website still available
• Outcome document: A/CONF.199/20 + Corr.1, includes:
  • Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development
  • Plan of Implementation

• Called for by General Assembly resolution 66/197
• Known as Rio+20
• Held in Rio de Janeiro, 20-22 June 2012
• Rio +20 website
• Outcome document A/CONF.216/16, includes "The future we want"

• Convened as a high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly
• New York, 25 - 27 September 2015
• Summit website
• Outcome document: A/RES/70/1, includes "Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development"