The Earth Summit: The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and the Global Forum -- Rio de Janeiro, 1992

The UNCED process gave women’s groups the opportunity to collaborate on their concerns from an international perspective. The overall consensus was clear - women’s groups had unanimously agreed that the implementation of Agenda 21 should ensure that gender considerations are fully integrated into all policies, programs and activities of UN bodies. The commitment to this goal from Canadian and international Women’s Groups was made apparent from the resulting NGO treaties on women and on population; and Chapter 24 of Agenda 21. For an assessment of Canada's commitment and follow through on Chapter 24, see Canada and Agenda 21.

A simple reference guide to women's issues in Agenda 21 has been prepared by UNIFEM. However widely recognized are the contributions of women at Rio, change is very slow in coming. The Women’s Caucus, an informal group which emerged during the UNCED conference preparatory process, has monitored the Post-Rio developments. In their statement to the Commission on Sustainable Development, (the UN group responsible for coordinating implementation of Earth Summit recommendations), May 26, 1994, they declared the UN commitment to the amendments sadly lacking in terms of gender integration and women’s stance on militarism, agriculture and trade.

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