Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, 2002 | The "Rio+10" Reality Check — MCQs

All questions with answers and explanations

Read the full set here, or use the practice card above to test yourself one question at a time.

1. What actually took place in Johannesburg in 2002?

   • A binding treaty called the 'Johannesburg Convention' was signed
   • The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), producing the non-binding Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation (correct answer)
   • The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated
   • The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature

   Explanation. There is no binding 'Johannesburg Convention'; the actual event was the WSSD, producing non-binding outputs.

2. The Johannesburg Summit is commonly referred to as:

   • Stockholm+10
   • Rio+10 (correct answer)
   • Kyoto+5
   • Paris+1

   Explanation. The WSSD is commonly called 'Rio+10' because it marked ten years since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

3. The World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 26 August to 4 September 2002, was held under which General Assembly resolution?

   • Resolution 2997 (XXVII)
   • Resolution 55/199 (correct answer)
   • Resolution 38/161
   • Resolution 70/1

   Explanation. The Summit was held under General Assembly resolution 55/199 as a ten-year review of the Rio conference.

4. Besides the Declaration and the Plan of Implementation, the Johannesburg Summit launched Type II partnerships, which are:

   • Binding treaties between States
   • Voluntary initiatives in which governments, business and civil society work together (correct answer)
   • Court orders
   • A new UN body

   Explanation. Type II partnerships are voluntary, multi-stakeholder initiatives. They sit beside the formal Type I outcomes, which are the Declaration and the Plan of Implementation.

5. Johannesburg is credited with consolidating which now-standard framing of sustainable development?

   • A single-pillar model focused only on economic growth
   • The 'three pillars' model — economic, social, and environmental development as interdependent (correct answer)
   • A model rejecting all environmental regulation
   • A model based solely on military security

   Explanation. Johannesburg consolidated the three-pillars framing: economic development, social development, and environmental protection as interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

6. Stockholm in 1972 set principles and Rio in 1992 added conventions. What did Johannesburg in 2002 do?

   • Checked on implementation and added partnerships (correct answer)
   • Created UNEP
   • Adopted the Kyoto Protocol
   • Set up the Ramsar List

   Explanation. Johannesburg checked on implementation of the Rio promises and added voluntary partnerships. The pattern of a summit about every ten years repeats.