Sustainable Development: International Agreements for Environmental Conservation

International Agreements for Environmental Conservation – Sustainable development

Stockholm Conference 1972

• Also known as the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
• It was the first international declaration on environmental conservation, held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 5th to 16th, 1972.
• One of the main topics that arose from the conference was the acceptance of poverty alleviation as a means of environmental protection.
• The United Nations Environment Programme was founded by the United Nations General Assembly in response to the Stockholm Conference, and it has provided a basis for modern environmentalism. 

Nairobi Declaration

The Declaration was adopted in 1982 (10th anniversary of Stockholm) and endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council in 1987.

• The Declaration called for the establishment of a special commission to develop long-term environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development in the years leading up to and beyond the year 2000.

Brundtland Report

• Formerly known as the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) formed in 1987.
• The Brundtland Report, also known as ‘Our Common Future’.
• The term “sustainable development” was coined to concentrate attention on strategies for promoting economic and social development while avoiding environmental degradation, over-exploitation, or pollution.
• It also served to side-line less fruitful discussions about, whether to prioritise development or the environment.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development- UNCED

• Also known as Earth Summit 1992, Rio Summit, the Rio Conference.
• Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
  • Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,
  • Agenda 21 
  • Forest Principles
• Significantly legally binding agreements were opened for signature:
  • Convention on Biological Diversity.
  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

Rio+5 (1997)

• The United Nations General Assembly convened a special session in 1997 to assess the status of Agenda 21 (Rio +5).
• The Assembly labelled progress as “uneven” and described key developments such as increased globalisation, widening income gaps, and continued environmental degradation.

Rio+10 (2002) or Earth Summit 2002

• In 2002, Rio+10, also known as Earth Summit 2002 or World Summit on Sustainable Development, was held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
• The United Nations’ commitment to Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals was reaffirmed at Rio+10.
• The Johannesburg Declaration commits the world’s nations to sustainable development.

Rio+20 (2012)

• Rio+20 (2012), also known as the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, was a 20-year follow-up to the 1992 Earth Summit and a 10-year follow-up to the 2002 Earth Summit.
• Rio+20 was the 3rd international conference on sustainable development, and it was hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. It reiterated the commitment to Agenda 21.
• Partnership for Action on the Green Economy (PAGE), launched in 2013, is a direct response to the Rio + 20 declaration. 
• The Partnership for Action on the Green Economy (PAGE) was formed to assist countries interested in designing, adopting and implementing green economy policies and strategies.

Conclusion

Since the United Nations Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, international environmental law has undergone tremendous transformations. Since then, various legal documents on humankind’s connection with the natural environment and for environmental preservation have been produced. In many nations, these international legal texts coexisted with a plethora of local legislation.

Following the Stockholm Conference in 1976, India enacted the 42nd Amendment to the Constitution, which included Constitutional Sanctions for environmental issues under Articles 48-A and 51-A. (g). Under the Directive Principles of State Policy, Article 48-A of the 42nd Amendment designated environmental protection as the duty of the State Government. Article 51-A(g) established environmental conservation and care as a Fundamental Duty for Indian people (environmentallawsofindia.com, 2018).

As a result, worldwide legal changes have had a significant impact on Indian environmental legislation, and the government has attempted to adjust its policies to the international legal environment.