Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment

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The Stockholm Declaration of 1972, or the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, is the first United Nations declaration on the global environment. It consists of 26 principles and led to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which laid the foundation for future global environmental governance.^[1][2] The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 5–16 in 1972. The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment signifies the first international effort to place environmental issues at the forefront of global concerns.^[3][2] The Conference sought to recognize the finite nature of Earth's resources and human impacts on the environment.^[3] It represented the beginning of a global dialogue on the link between economic growth, the pollution of the environment, and the well-being of humanity.^[3] The resulting Stockholm Declaration urged its partnering nations to reduce air, land, and water degradation by integrating science and technology in their development plans.^[3] It also called nations to create regulations on wildlife protection, environmental conservation, and population control.^[3] While the reception of the ideas in the Declaration generally stayed positive, it received wide criticisms on its practical implementation, especially from developing nations.