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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
What is UNCED?
In June, 1992, what has been referred to as the largest most complex United Nations Conference took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). Also known as the Rio Summit, the Earth Summit or just Rio, UNCED brought together 118 heads of state and over 100,000 individuals to discuss the future of the planet. Women, youth, indigenous people, labour, business, and many other groups organized to ensure that they had a voice in the process. Some participated in the official UN conference, others at the NGO Global Forum, where non-governmental organizations gathered to provide alternatives to the official process.