The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment took place in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 5 to June 16, 1972.

When the United Nations General Assembly decided to hold the 1972 Stockholm Conference, it accepted Sweden's offer to host the event. The UN secretary-general, U Thant, invited Maurice Strong to lead the conference as its Secretary-General. Maurice Strong was a Canadian diplomat who worked with Pierre Trudeau and had already been involved in the project for more than two years.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was created because of this conference.

Introduction

In 1968, Sweden proposed the idea of holding a United Nations conference to discuss how humans interact with the environment. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) approved this idea with Resolution 1346. In 1969, the United Nations General Assembly passed Resolution 2398, which decided to hold the conference in 1972. This resolution also asked the UN secretary-general to prepare reports that would help national governments and international organizations address environmental challenges. Preparing for the conference took four years and involved 114 countries. The total cost was over $30,000,000. A regional conference in Europe was held in Prague in 1971, organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Issues at the Conference

The Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations did not attend the conference because East Germany was not allowed to participate. At that time, neither East nor West Germany were members of the United Nations. They later agreed to recognize each other as separate countries by signing the Basic Treaty in December 1972.

Some countries, including Britain, the United States, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France, did not support the conference. These nations formed a group called the Brussels Group and tried to reduce the conference's influence.

During the conference, differences between developed and developing countries became clear. The Chinese delegation shared a 17-point statement that criticized United States actions in Indochina and other parts of the world. This encouraged many developing countries, which made up 70 out of the 122 nations attending. Countries like Pakistan, Peru, and Chile made statements opposing colonialism, which worried the United States. To avoid focusing on China's criticism, the United States' Secretary of the Interior, Rogers Morton, said, "I wish the Russians were here." China, as a new member of the United Nations, had not participated in earlier talks. To include their views, China reopened the conference's declaration and added text to address concerns about population being a threat to the environment.

In 1972, environmental issues were not a major focus for countries in the Global South. Developing nations supported the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) because it would be the first UN agency based in a developing country, Nairobi, Kenya.

Stockholm Declaration

The meeting agreed on a Declaration with 26 principles about the environment and development, an Action Plan with 109 recommendations, and a Resolution.

Principles of the Stockholm Declaration:
1. Natural resources must be protected.
2. The Earth's ability to produce renewable resources must be kept strong.
3. Wildlife must be protected.
4. Non-renewable resources should be shared and not used up completely.
5. Pollution should not exceed the environment's ability to clean itself.
6. Pollution that harms the ocean must be prevented.
7. Development is needed to improve the environment.
8. Developing countries need help to achieve this.
9. Developing countries need fair prices for exports to manage the environment.
10. Environmental policies should not slow down development.
11. Developing countries need money to create environmental protections.
12. Planning for development must be integrated.
13. Planning should resolve conflicts between the environment and development.
14. Human settlements must be planned to avoid environmental problems.
15. Governments should create their own population plans.
16. National institutions must manage the development of natural resources.
17. Science and technology should be used to improve the environment.
18. Environmental education is important.
19. Environmental research must be supported, especially in developing countries.
20. Countries may use their resources but must not harm others.
21. Countries harmed by others must receive compensation.
22. Each nation must set its own standards.
23. International cooperation is needed for global issues.
24. International organizations should help improve the environment.
25. Weapons of mass destruction must be removed.

A major point from the conference was the idea that reducing poverty helps protect the environment. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi highlighted the link between managing the environment and reducing poverty in her speech at the conference.

The Stockholm Conference encouraged countries worldwide to monitor the environment and create environmental agencies. Even though organizations like UNEP were established, many parts of the Action Plan were not followed. This led to later meetings, including the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and the 2012 Rio+20 Conference. These events were based on the Stockholm Declaration.

Some people believe the Stockholm Conference, along with earlier scientific meetings, influenced environmental policies in the European Community (later the European Union). For example, in 1973, the EU created the Environmental and Consumer Protection Directorate and developed its first Environmental Action Program. This increased focus on research and collaboration likely helped scientists better understand global warming, leading to agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. These efforts laid the foundation for modern environmentalism.

50 years after

In 2022, a report titled "Stockholm+50: Unlocking a Better Future" was created by a group of scientists. The report studied the changes since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 and provided suggestions for the future. The main ideas from the report are: "Change how people and nature interact, create long-term success for everyone, and invest in a better future." Also, young researchers made a version of the report called "Charting a Youth Vision for a Just and Sustainable Future." This version included its own suggestions. The main ideas from this youth report are: "Focus on health and well-being, work together as a community, live in balance with nature, help each other around the world as one family, and ensure fairness for all people."