Book excerpt: In June 1997, heads of government and senior representatives from over 130 countries met in New York to consider what progress had been made since the first Earth Summit in 1992, and la decide upon priorities for the future. Earth Summit II presents the principal official documents agreed al the Summit alongside an authoritative analysis of where progress is and is not being made, the reasons for this, and the priorities of the parties involved. Finally, the authors look forward to the ten-year follow-up in 2002, and propose methods for ensuring that that event is both effective and participatory. Insightful and comprehensive, this will be essential reading for policy makers, lobbyists and students on environment and development courses.