AGENDA 21Imelda, Salvador

Sustainable Development 2016

THE START OF A PLANAgenda 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 human impacts on the environment. Emphasis is placed on decision-making that integrates social and economic concerns with sustainable management of the environment.

HOW THEY DID IT 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 purpose of the conference was to elaborate strategies and measures to halt and reverse the effects of environmental degradation in the context of strengthened national and international efforts to promote sustainable and environmentally sound development in all countries.   

178/194

THE FOLLOW-UP 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 REASON BEHIND UNCED 1992 Although efforts had been made by the international community to address major issues of environmental degradation and conservation since the late 1960s, by December 1989, the United Nations General Assembly, in its Resolution 44/228, expressed deep concern at the “serious degradation of the global life-support systems” and warned of “ecological catastrophe.”Political understanding of

issues ≠ Scientific

knowledge

AGENDA 21Agenda 21 is comprehensive: it addresses needed actions in 39 areas, spanning four clusters of issues: economic and social; conservation and resource management; participation; and implementation.

Agenda 21 is inclusive and universal: it places a major emphasis on broad participation not only from governments, the UN and other intergovernmental organizations, but also from nine major groups in civil society.

AGENDA 21Agenda 21 is forward looking. It is a program to take the world into and through the 21st century, implicitly founded on the concept of inter-generational equity→ “the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations”

Agenda 21 is a consensus program. It does not carry the force of international law, but, having been adopted by 178 governments, it does bring with it a strong moral obligation to ensure full implementation.

CONTENT {40 chapters115 programs2500 actions

LocalRegionalNationalGlobalim

plem

ente

d

priorities, targets, cost estimates, modalities and means of implementation

THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES1. International cooperation (chapter 2)2. Poverty (chapter 3)3. Changing consumptiom patterns (chapter 4)4. Demographic dynamics (chapter 5)5. Human health (chapter 6)6. Human settlements (chapter 7)7. integrating environment and development in decision-making

(chapter 8)

ISSUES OF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES FOR DEVELOPMENT REFER TO 1. Atmosphere (chapter 9)2. Integrated planning and

management of land resources (chapter 10)

3. Deforestation (chapter 11)4. Desertification and drought

(chapter 12)5. Mountain development (chapter 13)6. Agriculture and rural development

(chapter 14)7. Biological biodiversity (chapter 15)

8. Biotechnology (chapter 16)9. Oceans and seas (chapter 17)10.Freshwater resources (chapter 18)11.Toxic chemicals (chapter 19)12.Hazardous wastes (chapter 20)13.Radioactive wastes (chapter 22)14.Solid wastes and sewage (chapter

21)

ISSUES OF PARTICIPATION ARE GEARED TOWARD STRENGTHENING THE NINE MAJOR GROUPS1. Women (chapter 24)2. Children and youth (chapter 25)3. Indigenous people (chapter 26)4. Non-governmental organizations (27)5. Local authorities (chapter 28)6. Workers and their unions (chapter 29)7. Business and industry (chapter 30)8. The scientific and technological community (chapter 31)9. Farmers (chapter 32)

THE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION1. Finance (chapter 33)2. Technology transfer (chapter 34)3. Science (chapter 35)4. Education, public awareness and training (chapter 36)5. National mechanisms and international cooperation for capacity-

building(chapter 37)

6. International institutional arrangements (chapter 38)7. International legal instruments and mechanisms (chapter 39)8. Information for decision-making (chapter 40)

REVIEWING THE PROGRESS To “review progress at the international, regional and national levels in the implementation of recommendations and commitments contained in,” inter alia, Agenda 21, the General Assembly, in its Resolution 47/191 of 22 December 1992, established the UN CSD (see CSD (Commission on Sustainable Development), Volume 4) as a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council. The Commission meets in regular session once each year and reviews specific issues of Agenda 21 according to a multi-year program of work. To facilitate its review, the Commission has requested governments of all member states to provide, on a voluntary basis, annual reports of their national implementation of Agenda 21.

NATURAL RESOURCE ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MEXICOAgricultureAtmosphereBiodiversityDesertification and DroughtEnergyForests

FreshwaterLand ManagementMountainsOceans and Coastal AreasToxic ChemicalsWaste and Hazardous Materials

EXAMPLE: AGRICULTURE In terms of land preservation and rehabilitation, Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Desarrollo Rural (SAGAR) and the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca (SEMARNAP) develop together a proposal to incorpórate sustainability criteria in agricultura and land conservation.

In 1997 the Consejo Consultivo para el Fomento de las Energías Renovables (COFER) with the purpose of promoting and strengthening the use of renewable energy in our country, laying the foundation for a proper government policy in this regard.

SOURCES Agenda 21 UNCED 1992. (s.f.). Obtenido de Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/outcomedocuments/agenda21

Natural Resource aspects of sustainable development in Mexico. (s.f.). Obtenido de United Nations site: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/mexico/natur.htm

United Nations Department of Public Information (1993) Agenda 21: The United Nations Programme of Action from Rio, United Nations Sales Publication No. E.93.I.11, New York. United Nations Department of Public Information (1997) Earth Summit C5: Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, New York.