Agenda 21

* Agenda 21 is an action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development.
* It was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992.
* It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by UN organizations, governments, and major groups in every area where humans directly affect the environment.
* The number 21 refers to an agenda for the 21st century.
Background
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
Also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference, or Earth Summit, it was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.
The issues addressed included:
* Systematic scrutiny of patterns of production, particularly toxic components such as lead in gasoline and poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals.
* Alternative sources of energy to replace fossil fuels linked to global climate change.
* Greater reliance on public transportation systems to reduce vehicle emissions, urban congestion, and health problems caused by air pollution and smog.
* The growing scarcity of water.
The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
* Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
* Agenda 21
* Forest Principles
Moreover, two important legally binding agreements were adopted:
1.  Convention on Biological Diversity
2.  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development was a short document produced at UNCED. It consisted of 27 principles intended to guide future sustainable development worldwide.
Related Terms
Local Agenda 21
* The implementation of Agenda 21 was intended to involve action at international, national, regional and local levels.
* Some national and state governments legislated or advised local authorities to implement the plan locally, as recommended in Chapter 28 of the document.
* Such programmes are known as ‘Local Agenda 21’ (LA21).
Agenda 21 for Culture
* During the first World Public Meeting on Culture held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2002, the idea emerged to draw up guidelines for local cultural policies, comparable to what Agenda 21 meant in 1992 for the environment.
* Agenda 21 for Culture is the first document with a worldwide mission advocating a framework for cultural development by cities and local governments.
Rio+5
* In 1997, the UN General Assembly held a special session (Rio+5) to review five years of progress on the implementation of Agenda 21.
* The Assembly recognized progress as uneven and identified key trends such as increasing globalization, widening income inequalities, and continued environmental deterioration.