STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE - 1972

Stockholm Conference June 5 16, 1972

The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment. Convened under United Nations auspices held in Stockholm Sweden, from June 5-16,1972. UN's first major conference on international environmental issues. Marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics. The conference was opened and addressed by the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme and secretary-general Kurt Waldheim. Attended by the representatives of 113 countries, 19 intergovernmental agencies, and more than 400 inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The meeting agreed upon a Declaration containing 26 principles concerning the environment and development; an Action Plan with 109 recommendations, and a Resolution defining new United Nations organizational machinery to deal with problems of the environment

Key Issues Addressed:

Use of CFCs, which seemed to be responsible for the depletion of
the ozone layer.

Global warming was mentioned, but in this matter nothing of substance was achieved at this Conference.
The Conference condemned nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere.

Contributions: Increasing awareness of environmental issues among public and governments. Laid framework for future environmental cooperation. Led to the creation of global and regional environmental monitoring networks. The creation of the United Nations Environment Programme. Recommended that World Environment Day be observed on 5 June each year. The theme of the Conference - "Only One Earth" - was chosen to emphasize that all living and inanimate things among which man dwelt were part of a single interdependent system, and that man had no place else to turn if he despoiled his surroundings through thoughtless abuse.

Proposed International Machinery

The recommendations of the Conference on international organization machinery to deal with environmental matters envisaged the following:
A small Environmental Secretariat to carry on the day to day work of the United Nations in that sphere. A 54-member Governing Council for Environmental Programmes to be elected every three years by the Assembly. Its function would be to promote environmental co-operation among Governments. An Environmental Fund to which Governments would contribute on a voluntary basis to pay for all or part of the costs of new environmental activities undertaken by the United Nations and the related agencies. An Environment Co-ordination Board to be established under the auspices of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination, the intersecretariat body responsible for general co-ordination of the work of the United Nations agencies. The Conference adopted a resolution condemning nuclear weapons tests, especially those carried out in the atmosphere.

Recommendations The 106 recommendations approved by the Conference will be embodied in the Action Plan that sets out tasks and guide-lines for Governments and international organizations.

The Action Plan will provide a framework in three parts:

A global assessment programme, known as "Earthwatch", to identify and measure environmental problems of international important and to warn against impending crises. Environmental management activities to use what is known or learned about the environment, so as to preserve what was desired and prevent what was feared. Supporting measures such as education and training, public information, and organizational and financing arrangements.

Closing Statements
The fundamental tasks of the Stockholm Conference had been to take the political decisions that would enable the community of nations to act together in a manner consistent with the earths physical interdependence. That was the mandate and that was what had been accomplished.

THANK YOU