Stockholm Conference
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was the first ever conference in the world focused on human interventions with the environment. It was the first of its kind of conference to bring focus on the environment. The conference was held at Stockholm from 5th of June 1972 to 16th of June 1972. The conference’s aim was to guide people around the world to preserve and enhance the human environment.
With great advancement in science and technology and various other fields humans have been developing their standard of living. Humans are now capable of using their knowledge and experiences for the enhancement of their lives and their surroundings. Although, as similar to the two sides of the coin, this positive development and enhancement of humans in all other fields of their lives, there are fields which are negatively impacted. The field which is dramatically affected is the human environment. Along with the development of the society and the living standard the interventions of humans with nature has also increased. Human interventions have caused increase in the level of pollution, increasing population, ecological imbalance, depletion of non-renewable resources, deficiency in the quality of human lives and many more such problems.
Hence there was a need to bring focus on the human environment. The knowledge and experience of humans can also be used in such a way that they bring enhancement in the human environment too. Humans can bring advancement in their lives along with preserving nature too.
The idea to hold a conference focusing on the environment was suggested by Sweden to the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC in 1968, to which the ECOSOC supported. It was in 1969 that the General Assembly resolution 2398 decided to convene the conference in 1972 with the focus on “stimulating and providing guidelines for action by national government and international organizations” facing environmental issues. Extensive preparation was done for the same lasting 4 years and including 114 countries with a budget of over $30,000,000.
The participating governments agreed upon and adopted a series of 26 principles for the sound management and enhancement of the human environment. The principles were as follows:
- Right to protect environment
- Management of natural resources
- Management of renewable resources
- Conservation of wildlife
- Management of non-renewable resources
- Pollution control
- Prevention of pollution of seas
- Economic and social development
- Underdevelopment and natural disasters
- Stability of prices of primary commodities
- Environmental policies
- Environment protection education
- Rational management of resources
- Rational planning
- Human settlements
- Human population
- Settling of environment pollution control agencies at national levels
- Use of science and technology
- Education in environmental matters
- Further scientific research
- Rights and responsibilities of developing sovereign nations
- Development of international laws
- Implementation of agenda by every country
- International cooperation
- Coordinated and dynamic role
- Ban on nuclear weapons
The above principles placed forward the concern of enhancing and improving the environment along with the development and economic growth of countries on the international level to ensure the well being of all the human beings, wildlife and the environment.
The conference also put forward the action plan for the enhancement and development of the human environment. The three main categories of the action plan included:
- Global Environmental Assessment Program (Watch Plan)
- Environmental management activities
- International measures to support assessment and management activities carried out at national and international levels
The above action plan which was categorized into these three categories was further divided into 109 recommendations.
One of the major outputs of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment is the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Sources:
- Wikipedia
- United Nations Website
- The Fact Factor Website
27 June 2021, Sunday