Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, 1972 ∗

On June 16,1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment adopted a Declaration on the human environment consisting of a preamble and 26 principles. · By the preamble, the Conference proclaimed that the defence and improvement of the human environment--both natural and man-made-had become ari imperative goal for mankind, to be pursued together with· the fundamental goals of peace and of world-wide economic and social development. The achievement of this goal was the responsibility of citizens, communities, enterprises and institutions at every level. Although local and national governments would be~r the greatest burden for large-scale environmental policy and action within their jurisdictions, international cooperation was also needed, both to raise resources to support the developing countries in carrying out their responsibilities in this field, and because a growing class of environmental problems were regional or global in extent. By the preamble, the conference also, among other things, affirmed that in the developing countries most environmental problems were caused by underdevelopment, whereas in the industrialized countries they were generally related to industrialization and technological development. The Conference also declared that the natural growth of population continuously presented problems on the· preservation of the environment and required the adoption , as appropriate, of adequate policies and measures. The Conference then laid down the following 26 principles: