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sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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15<br />

The Rio Declarati<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tains 27 principles, which are reproduced in full in box 2 and, for <strong>the</strong><br />

purposes of this assessment, can be grouped under broad headings (see table 1). The first group refers to<br />

<strong>the</strong> central nature of <strong>the</strong> human being in <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <strong>the</strong> link between <strong>the</strong> three pillars of<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> (social, ec<strong>on</strong>omic and envir<strong>on</strong>mental), <strong>the</strong> fight against poverty and<br />

intergenerati<strong>on</strong>al equity. These topics are addressed in chapter I, which reviews <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <strong>the</strong> regi<strong>on</strong><br />

in <strong>the</strong> past <str<strong>on</strong>g>20</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>years</str<strong>on</strong>g> and identifies relati<strong>on</strong>s between <strong>the</strong> trends in each of <strong>the</strong> three pillars. The sec<strong>on</strong>d<br />

group refers to streng<strong>the</strong>ning of <strong>the</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>mental pillar, c<strong>on</strong>sidered in chapter II. The third refers to<br />

participati<strong>on</strong> by civil society and specific groups in <strong>the</strong> transiti<strong>on</strong> towards <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, a<br />

subject that is discussed in chapter III. Principle 6, c<strong>on</strong>sidered in chapter IV, refers to <strong>the</strong> special situati<strong>on</strong><br />

of <strong>the</strong> least developed countries and small island developing States (SIDS). Lastly, <strong>the</strong> fifth group of<br />

principles c<strong>on</strong>cerns <strong>the</strong> means of implementati<strong>on</strong> of <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, which involve both<br />

internati<strong>on</strong>al cooperati<strong>on</strong> and trade, and also local scientific and technological capacities. This last group<br />

is addressed in chapter V. Guidelines for advancing towards <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> in <strong>the</strong> regi<strong>on</strong>, based<br />

<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> assessment presented in <strong>the</strong> preceding chapters, are set forth in chapter VI.<br />

Box 2<br />

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE RIO DECLARATION ON ENVIRONMENT<br />

AND DEVELOPMENT (1992)<br />

1 Human beings are at <strong>the</strong> centre of c<strong>on</strong>cerns for <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>. They are entitled to a healthy and<br />

productive life in harm<strong>on</strong>y with nature.<br />

2 States have, in accor<strong>da</strong>nce with <strong>the</strong> Charter of <strong>the</strong> United Nati<strong>on</strong>s and <strong>the</strong> principles of internati<strong>on</strong>al law, <strong>the</strong><br />

sovereign right to exploit <strong>the</strong>ir own resources pursuant to <strong>the</strong>ir own envir<strong>on</strong>mental and <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>al<br />

policies, and <strong>the</strong> resp<strong>on</strong>sibility to ensure that activities within <strong>the</strong>ir jurisdicti<strong>on</strong> or c<strong>on</strong>trol do not cause<br />

<strong>da</strong>mage to <strong>the</strong> envir<strong>on</strong>ment of o<strong>the</strong>r States or of areas bey<strong>on</strong>d <strong>the</strong> limits of nati<strong>on</strong>al jurisdicti<strong>on</strong>.<br />

3 The right to <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> must be fulfilled so as to equitably meet <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>al and envir<strong>on</strong>mental needs of<br />

present and future generati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />

4 In order to achieve <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, envir<strong>on</strong>mental protecti<strong>on</strong> shall c<strong>on</strong>stitute an integral part of <strong>the</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> process and cannot be c<strong>on</strong>sidered in isolati<strong>on</strong> <strong>from</strong> it.<br />

5 All States and all people shall cooperate in <strong>the</strong> essential task of eradicating poverty as an indispensable<br />

requirement for <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, in order to decrease <strong>the</strong> disparities in stan<strong>da</strong>rds of living and better<br />

meet <strong>the</strong> needs of <strong>the</strong> majority of <strong>the</strong> people of <strong>the</strong> world.<br />

6 The special situati<strong>on</strong> and needs of developing countries, particularly <strong>the</strong> least developed and those most<br />

envir<strong>on</strong>mentally vulnerable, shall be given special priority. Internati<strong>on</strong>al acti<strong>on</strong>s in <strong>the</strong> field of envir<strong>on</strong>ment<br />

and <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> should also address <strong>the</strong> interests and needs of all countries.<br />

7 States shall cooperate in a spirit of global partnership to c<strong>on</strong>serve, protect and restore <strong>the</strong> health and integrity<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Earth’s ecosystem. In view of <strong>the</strong> different c<strong>on</strong>tributi<strong>on</strong>s to global envir<strong>on</strong>mental degra<strong>da</strong>ti<strong>on</strong>, States<br />

have comm<strong>on</strong> but differentiated resp<strong>on</strong>sibilities. The developed countries acknowledge <strong>the</strong> resp<strong>on</strong>sibility that<br />

<strong>the</strong>y bear in <strong>the</strong> internati<strong>on</strong>al pursuit of <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> in view of <strong>the</strong> pressures <strong>the</strong>ir societies place<br />

<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> global envir<strong>on</strong>ment and of <strong>the</strong> technologies and financial resources <strong>the</strong>y command.<br />

8 To achieve <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> and a higher quality of life for all people, States should reduce and eliminate<br />

un<str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> patterns of producti<strong>on</strong> and c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> and promote appropriate demographic policies.<br />

9 States should cooperate to streng<strong>the</strong>n endogenous capacity-building for <str<strong>on</strong>g>sustainable</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g> by improving<br />

scientific understanding through exchanges of scientific and technological knowledge, and by enhancing <strong>the</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>development</str<strong>on</strong>g>, a<strong>da</strong>ptati<strong>on</strong>, diffusi<strong>on</strong> and transfer of technologies, including new and innovative technologies.

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