Agenda 21 was adopted during the "Earth Summit" and is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally in areas in which humans could affect the environment.

Chapter 16 of Agenda 21 calls for international principles to assess and manage the risks of biotechnology.

Agenda 21 is a comprehensive programme for action in social and economic areas and for conserving and managing the natural resources. Its chapter 16 addresses the “Environmentally sound management of biotechnology” (see Example 1) and outlines the need for international agreement on principles to be applied to risk assessment and management and set out the implementation of safety mechanisms on regional, national, and international levels.