Agenda21 (UN)

Agenda21 supports sustainable development in the twenty-first century, via an action plan used to address urgent social and environmental issues. It is promoted by the United Nations (UN) and has been signed by 183 heads of state around the world, first during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and subsequently, in 2002, during the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Agenda21 is based on the premise that human societies cannot continue along their current path. It seeks to develop new pathways that bridge the social and economic gap between and within nations, focusing on the human issues that are poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy, and environmental issues that see the destruction of the world’s fragile ecosystems. Agenda21 provides a list of objectives and activities to be implemented that aim to promote sustainable development. Its target is states, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, urging them to create a global partnership to collaborate with all stakeholders in social and economic development that improves quality of life in a way that is environmentally sustainable.