Rio Conventions and Commissions
The Summit brought environment and development issues firmly into the public arena. Along with the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 it led to agreement on two legally binding conventions: the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It also produced a Statement of Forest Principles.
The Earth Summit gave rise to a number of positive responses including the emergence of thousands of Local Agenda 21 initiatives and an enhanced political profile for sustainable development issues on a national level. It led to the formation of the annual UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to monitor and follow up on the advancement and implementation of Agenda 21. Many countries also set up their own sustainable development commissions and created national strategies for its achievement.