Stockholm+50 Conference
Stockholm+50 is an international conference organized by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Stockholm, Sweden.
The theme of the conference is ‘Stockholm+50: A Healthy Planet – Our Responsibility, Our Opportunity for Prosperity for All’.
Sweden first presented the idea of the Stockholm Conference in 1968. This conference is being organized to commemorate 50 years of the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
The 1972 convention made the environment an important global issue for the first time.
Its principles:
- Aid to developing countries,
- Protection of wildlife and natural resources,
- Controlling pollution,
- Emphasis on human rights etc.
Significance of Stockholm Conference:
- It broadened the working boundaries of the United Nations system, which had hitherto relied on the concept of sovereignty of countries.
- It emphasized the importance of joint action for the common good.
- The Declaration explicitly recognizes the sovereign right of nations to exploit their resources in accordance with their environmental policies.
- The Stockholm conference also highlighted global inequality.
- The then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi had questioned the urgency of prioritizing environmental protection at a time when many people are living in poverty.
- Awareness regarding environmental challenges has increased over the past 50
- This has led to the proliferation of national environmental agencies. At the same time, the development of global environmental legislation has also been promoted.
Source – The Hindu
