With contributions from children of 75 countries, this book represents a partnership between different regions of the world, between children and adults, and between United Nations agencies - UNESCO, UNICEF and the UN Environment and Development Programs. It is a children's edition of "Agenda 21", a 700-page document signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Young people from around the world have written and illustrated a global book for the care and management of the planet in the 21st century. The introduction sets the scene, explaining the background to the Earth Summit and "Agenda 21". The book then focuses on the problems in both the natural world (atmosphere, forests, ocean, etc) and the human world (cities, poverty, health, waste, etc). It goes on to investigate how these are to be tackled - the role of governments, major groups, and young people. Throughout there are poems, stories, case studies and interviews with figures such as John Gummer and Al Gore, complemented by colour and black-and-white drawings and paintings.