1ST EARTH SUMMIT-STOCKHOLM

The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (also known as the
Stockholm Conference) was an international conference convened by the United
Nations in Stockholm, Sweden between 5 and June 16th, 1972. It was the first
major UN conference on international Environmental issues, and marked a turning
point in the development of international environmental policy.

With the assistance of representatives from 113 countries, 19 intergovernmental

bodies and more than 400 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

It agreed a 7-point statement and a resolution of 26 principles..

1. The man is at the same time work and architect of the environment that
surrounds him, which gives him the material sustenance and gives him the
opportunity to develop intellectually, morally socially and spiritually.
In the long and tortuous evolution of the human race on this planet has reached a
stage in which, thanks to the rapid acceleration of science and technology, man
has acquired the power to transform, countless ways and on an unprecedented
scale , how much it surrounds.

2. The protection and enhancement of the human environment is a fundamental

issue affecting the well-being of the peoples and the economic development of the
entire world, an urgent desire of the peoples of the world and a duty of all
Governments.

3. The man must make constant recapitulation of his experience and continue
discovering, inventing, creating and progressing. Today, man's ability to transform
what surrounds him, used with discernment, can bring to all peoples the benefits of
development and offer them the opportunity to ennoble their existence. Applied
erroneously or recklessly, the same power can cause incalculable damage to
human beings and their environment.
4. Developing countries should direct their efforts towards development, bearing in
mind their priorities and the need to safeguard and improve the environment. For
the same purpose, industrialized countries should strive to reduce the distance
between developing countries. In industrialized countries, environmental problems
are generally related to industrialization and technological development.

5. The natural growth of the population continually raises problems relating to the
preservation of the environment, and appropriate rules and measures should be
adopted, as appropriate, to address these problems. Of all the things in the world,
human beings are the most valuable. They are the ones who promote social
progress, create social wealth, develop science and technology, and with their hard
work they continually transform the human environment

Principle 1. Man has a fundamental right to freedom, equality and enjoyment of

adequate living conditions in a quality environment that allows him to lead a
dignified life and enjoy well-being, and has the solemn obligation to protect and
improve the environment For present and future generations

Principle 2. The natural resources of the Earth, including air, water, land, flora and
fauna, and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be
preserved for the benefit of present and future generations, through careful
Planning or ordering, as appropriate.

Principle 3. The capacity of the land to produce renewable vital resources must be
maintained and, where possible, restored or improved.

Principle 4. Man has the special responsibility to preserve and judiciously

administer the heritage of wild flora and fauna and its habitat, which are currently in
grave danger by a combination of adverse factors. As a result, the conservation of
nature, including wild flora and fauna, should be attributed to the planning of
economic development.
Principle 5. The non-renewable resources of the earth must be used in such a
manner as to avoid the danger of its future depletion and ensure that all humanity
shares the benefits of such employment.

Principle 6. There must be an end to the dumping of toxic substances or other

materials to the heat release, in quantities or concentrations such that the
environment can not neutralize them, so that they do not cause serious damage or
irreparable harm to ecosystems.

Principle 7. States shall take all possible measures to prevent contamination of

the seas by substances which may endanger human health, damage living
resources and marine life, undermine the possibility of recreation or hinder other
Legitimate uses of the sea.

Principle 8. Economic and social development is indispensable in order to assure

the man an environment of favorable life and work and to create on earth the
necessary conditions of improvement of the quality of life.

Principle 9. Environmental deficiencies caused by under-development conditions

and natural disasters pose serious problems, and the best way to rectify them is
accelerated development by transferring significant amounts of assistance
Financial and technological that fully the internal efforts of developing countries
and the timely assistance that may be required.

Principle 10. For developing countries, price stability and adequate income from
commodities and raw materials are essential to the management of the
environment, since economic factors should be taken into account As the
ecological processes

Principle 13. In order to achieve a more rational management of resources and

thus to improve the environmental conditions, States should adopt an integrated
and coordinated approach to the planning of their development, so as to ensure
the compatibility of development with the need to protect and improve the human
environment for the benefit of its population.
Principle 14. The rational planning constitutes an indispensable instrument to
reconcile the differences that may arise between the imperatives of development
and the need to protect and improve the environment.

Principle 17. Should be entrusted to the competent national institutions with the
task of planning, manage or control the use of environmental resources of States in
order to improve the quality of the environment.

Principle 21. In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and with the
principles of international law, States have the sovereign right to exploit their own
resources in the application of their own environmental policy, and the obligation to
ensure that the activities Which are carried out within their jurisdiction or under
their control shall not prejudice the environment of other States or areas situated
outside the national jurisdiction.

Principle 25. States will ensure that international organizations undertake

coordinated, effective and dynamic work in the conservation and improvement of
the environment.

Principle 26. Man and his environment must be freed from the effects of nuclear
weapons and all other means of mass destruction. States should strive to reach an
agreement soon, in the relevant international bodies, on the complete elimination
and destruction of such weapons