ABSTRACT

The month of June (5–16) in 1972 saw a gathering of many world leaders in Stockholm to discuss the environmental issues in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The Stockholm Conference started a new wave of environmentally conscious international conventions and treaties such as Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) signed in London on November 2, 1973, and Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, Canberra, May 20, 1980. The Johannesburg Summit, called the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), took upon itself to discuss five specific areas: water and sanitation, energy, health, agricultural productivity, and biodiversity protection and ecosystem management. The Johannesburg Declaration issued at the end of the summit outlines the progress made from the UNCED to the WSSD in 2002, highlights challenges and expresses a commitment to sustainable development, presents the importance of multilateralism, and emphasizes the need for speedy implementation.