1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

The Rio Declaration reasserts and builds upon the principles of the Stockholm Declaration, with the goal of establishing a "new and equitable global partnership." It recognizes that States have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources, with the concomitant responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction do not cause damage to the environment beyond this. Moreover, the right to development must be fulfilled in accordance with intergenerational equity. The Declaration acknowledges that in view of the varying contributions to global environmental degradation, States have common but differentiated responsibilities regarding the protection and restoration of the Earth's ecosystem. It urges States to enact effective environmental legislation, with environmental standards, management objectives and priorities reflecting the environmental and developmental context to which they apply. It enjoins States to widely apply the precautionary principle in order to protect the environment, particularly where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage. Furthermore, environmental impact assessment shall be undertaken for proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact on the environment. It urges States to ensure availability of information, public participation, legal redress and remedies on environmental issues. It likewise recognizes the important role of women in environmental management and development.