Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment, 1972 — Key Principles

Verbatim text of the Principles of the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972. This batch covers the five Principles most directly relevant to Unit V — the ones on the fundamental right to environment, safeguarding natural resources, State sovereignty and responsibility for transboundary harm, liability and compensation, and international cooperation.

Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

• Adopted at: United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, Sweden, 5–16 June 1972
• Date of adoption: 16 June 1972
• Structure: A Preamble followed by 26 numbered Principles (this post reproduces Principles 1, 2, 21, 22 and 24)
• Status: A non-binding "soft law" declaration, not a treaty — it creates no direct legal obligations, but it is the founding text of modern international environmental law and its language has been carried into later binding instruments and national court judgments, including in India
• Direct outcome: The Conference also led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) later the same year, by UN General Assembly Resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972

Principle 1

Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations. In this respect, policies promoting or perpetuating apartheid, racial segregation, discrimination, colonial and other forms of oppression and foreign domination stand condemned and must be eliminated.

Cited in: 4. Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment, 1972

Principle 2

The natural resources of the earth, including the air, water, land, flora and fauna and especially representative samples of natural ecosystems, must be safeguarded for the benefit of present and future generations through careful planning or management, as appropriate.

Cited in: 4. Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment, 1972

Principle 21

States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

Cited in: 1. Transboundary Pollution 2. State Liability for Transboundary Environmental Harm Trail Smelter Arbitration (1938 & 1941)

Principle 22

States shall cooperate to develop further the international law regarding liability and compensation for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage caused by activities within the jurisdiction or control of such States to areas beyond their jurisdiction.

Cited in: 2. State Liability for Transboundary Environmental Harm 3. Liability of Multinational Corporations and Companies

Principle 24

International matters concerning the protection and improvement of the environment should be handled in a cooperative spirit by all countries, big and small, on an equal footing. Cooperation through multilateral or bilateral arrangements or other appropriate means is essential to effectively control, prevent, reduce and eliminate adverse environmental effects resulting from activities conducted in all spheres, in such a way that due account is taken of the sovereignty and interests of all States.

Cited in: 5. Role of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme)

This page reproduces select Principles of the Stockholm Declaration, 1972 for study purposes. It is not a certified or legally authoritative copy — always verify against the official United Nations publication (A/CONF.48/14/Rev.1) for legal use.