ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>THE RIO DECLARATION</TITLE> <META content="text/html; charset=unicode" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META content="MSHTML 5.00.2722.2800" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY> <P>A/CONF.151/26 (Vol. I) <P>12 August 1992 <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <H2 align=center><STRONG>THE RIO DECLARATION</STRONG></H2> <P align=center>(ORIGINAL: ENGLISH) <P align=center><STRONG>REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON </STRONG> <P align=center><STRONG>ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT*</STRONG> <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P align=center><STRONG>(Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)</STRONG> <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P align=center><STRONG>Annex I</STRONG> <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P align=center><STRONG>RIO DECLARATION ON ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT</STRONG> <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P>The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P>Having met at Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992, <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P>Reaffirming the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human <P>Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972, a/ and seeking to build upon <P>it, <P>With the goal of establishing a new and equitable global partnership <P>through the creation of new levels of cooperation among States, key sectors of <P>societies and people, <P>Working towards international agreements which respect the interests of <P>all and protect the integrity of the global environmental and developmental <P>system, <P>Recognizing the integral and interdependent nature of the Earth, our <P>home, <P>Proclaims that: <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 1</STRONG> <P>Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. <P>They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 2</STRONG> <P>States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the <P>principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own <P>resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, and <P>the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or <P>control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas <P>beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 3</STRONG> <P>The right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet <P>developmental and environmental needs of present and future generations. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 4</STRONG> <P>In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection <P>shall constitute an integral part of the development process and cannot be <P>considered in isolation from it. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 5</STRONG> <P>All States and all people shall cooperate in the essential task of <P>eradicating poverty as an indispensable requirement for sustainable <P>development, in order to decrease the disparities in standards of living and <P>better meet the needs of the majority of the people of the world. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 6</STRONG> <P>The special situation and needs of developing countries, particularly the <P>least developed and those most environmentally vulnerable, shall be given <P>special priority. International actions in the field of environment and <P>development should also address the interests and needs of all countries. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 7</STRONG> <P>States shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to conserve, <P>protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. In view <P>of the different contributions to global environmental degradation, States have <P>common but differentiated responsibilities. The developed countries <P>acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of <P>sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the <P>global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they <P>command. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 8</STRONG> <P>To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all <P>people, States should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production <P>and consumption and promote appropriate demographic policies. <BR wp="br1"><BR wp="br2"> <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 9</STRONG> <P>States should cooperate to strengthen endogenous capacity-building for <P>sustainable development by improving scientific understanding through exchanges <P>of scientific and technological knowledge, and by enhancing the development, <P>adaptation, diffusion and transfer of technologies, including new and <P>innovative technologies. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 10</STRONG> <P>Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all <P>concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each <P>individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the <P>environment that is held by public authorities, including information on <P>hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity <P>to participate in decision-making processes. States shall facilitate and <P>encourage public awareness and participation by making information widely <P>available. Effective access to judicial and administrative proceedings, <P>including redress and remedy, shall be provided. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 11</STRONG> <P>States shall enact effective environmental legislation. Environmental <P>standards, management objectives and priorities should reflect the <P>environmental and developmental context to which they apply. Standards applied <P>by some countries may be inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social <P>cost to other countries, in particular developing countries. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 12</STRONG> <P>States should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international <P>economic system that would lead to economic growth and sustainable development <P>in all countries, to better address the problems of environmental degradation. <P>Trade policy measures for environmental purposes should not constitute a means <P>of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on <P>international trade. Unilateral actions to deal with environmental challenges <P>outside the jurisdiction of the importing country should be avoided. <P>Environmental measures addressing transboundary or global environmental <P>problems should, as far as possible, be based on an international consensus. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 13</STRONG> <P>States shall develop national law regarding liability and compensation <P>for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage. States shall also <P>cooperate in an expeditious and more determined manner to develop further <P>international law regarding liability and compensation for adverse effects of <P>environmental damage caused by activities within their jurisdiction or control <P>to areas beyond their jurisdiction. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 14</STRONG> <P>States should effectively cooperate to discourage or prevent the <P>relocation and transfer to other States of any activities and substances that <P>cause severe environmental degradation or are found to be harmful to human <P>health. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 15</STRONG> <P>In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be <P>widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are <P>threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty <P>shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent <P>environmental degradation. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 16</STRONG> <P>National authorities should endeavour to promote the internalization of <P>environmental costs and the use of economic instruments, taking into account <P>the approach that the polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of <P>pollution, with due regard to the public interest and without distorting <P>international trade and investment. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 17</STRONG> <P>Environmental impact assessment, as a national instrument, shall be <P>undertaken for proposed activities that are likely to have a significant <P>adverse impact on the environment and are subject to a decision of a competent <P>national authority. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 18</STRONG> <P>States shall immediately notify other States of any natural disasters or <P>other emergencies that are likely to produce sudden harmful effects on the <P>environment of those States. Every effort shall be made by the international <P>community to help States so afflicted. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 19</STRONG> <P>States shall provide prior and timely notification and relevant <P>information to potentially affected States on activities that may have a <P>significant adverse transboundary environmental effect and shall consult with <P>those States at an early stage and in good faith. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 20</STRONG> <P>Women have a vital role in environmental management and development. <P>Their full participation is therefore essential to achieve sustainable <P>development. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 21</STRONG> <P>The creativity, ideals and courage of the youth of the world should be <P>mobilized to forge a global partnership in order to achieve sustainable <P>development and ensure a better future for all. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 22</STRONG> <P>Indigenous people and their communities and other local communities have <P>a vital role in environmental management and development because of their <P>knowledge and traditional practices. States should recognize and duly support <P>their identity, culture and interests and enable their effective participation <P>in the achievement of sustainable development. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 23</STRONG> <P>The environment and natural resources of people under oppression, <P>domination and occupation shall be protected. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 24</STRONG> <P>Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development. States <P>shall therefore respect international law providing protection for the <P>environment in times of armed conflict and cooperate in its further <P>development, as necessary. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 25</STRONG> <P>Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and <P>indivisible. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 26</STRONG> <P>States shall resolve all their environmental disputes peacefully and by <P>appropriate means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. <P align=center><STRONG>Principle 27</STRONG> <P>States and people shall cooperate in good faith and in a spirit of <P>partnership in the fulfilment of the principles embodied in this Declaration <P>and in the further development of international law in the field of sustainable <P>development. <P align=center>* * * * * <P>a/ Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, <P>Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.73.II.A.14 <P>and corrigendum), chap. I. </P></BODY></HTML>