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achievement of international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social,
cultural, technical, intellectual or humanitarian character.
©1999 CRC Press LLC
Chap4.fm Page 40 Sunday, August 19, 2001 12:09 PM
Aware that:
(a) Mankind is a part of nature and life depends on the uninterrupted functioning of natural
systems which ensure the supply of energy and nutrients.
(b) Civilization is rooted in nature, which has shaped human culture and influenced all
artistic and scientific achievements, and living in harmony with nature gives man the
best opportunities for the development of his creativity, and for rest and recreation.
Convinced that:
(a) Every form of life is unique, warranting respect regardless of its worth to man, and, to
accord other organisms such recognition, man must be guided by a moral code of action.
(b) Man can alter nature and exhaust natural resources by his action or its consequences
and, therefore, must fully recognize the urgency of maintaining the stability and quality
of nature and of conserving natural resources.
Persuaded that:
(a) Lasting benefits from nature depend upon the maintenance of essential ecological pro-
cesses and life support systems, and upon the diversity of life forms, which are jeopar-
dized through excessive exploitation and habitat destruction by man.
(b) The degradation of natural systems owing to excessive consumption and misuse of
natural resources, as well as to failure to establish an appropriate economic order among
peoples and among States, leads to the breakdown of the economic, social and political
framework of civilization.
(c) Competition for scarce resources creates conflicts, whereas the conservation of nature
and natural resources contributes to justice and the maintenance of peace and cannot be
achieved until mankind learns to live in peace and to forsake war and armaments.
Reaffirming that man must acquire the knowledge to maintain and enhance his ability to use
natural resources in a manner which ensures the preservation of the species and ecosystems for
the benefit of present and future generations.
Firmly convinced of the need for appropriate measures, at the national and international,
individual and collective, and private and public levels, to protect nature and promote international
co-operation in this field.
Adopts, to these ends, the present World Charter for Nature, which proclaims the following
principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged.
I. General Principles
1. Nature shall be respected and its essential processes shall not be impaired.
2. The genetic viability on the earth shall not be compromised; the population levels of all
life forms, wild and domesticated, must be at least sufficient for their survival, and to
this end necessary habitat shall be safeguarded.
3. All areas of the earth, both land and sea, shall be subject to these principles of conser-
vation; special protection shall be given to unique areas, to representative samples of all
the different types of ecosystems and to the habitat of rare or endangered species.
4. Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land, marine and atmospheric resources that
are utilized by man, shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable
©1999 CRC Press LLC
Chap4.fm Page 41 Sunday, August 19, 2001 12:09 PM
productivity, but not in such a way as to endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems
or species with which they coexist.
5. Nature shall be secured against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities.
II. Functions
6. In the decision-making process it shall be recognized that man's needs can be met only
by ensuring the proper functioning of natural systems and by respecting the principles
set forth in the present Charter.
7. In the planning and implementation of social and economic development activities, due
account shall be taken of the fact that the conservation of nature is an integral part of
those activities.
8. In formulating long-term plans for economic development, population growth and the
improvement of standards of living, due account shall be taken of the long-term capacity
of natural systems to ensure the subsistence and settlement of the populations concerned,
recognizing that this capacity may be enhanced through science and technology.
9. The allocation of areas of the earth to various uses shall be planned and due account
shall be taken of the physical constraints, the biological productivity and diversity and
the natural beauty of the areas concerned.
10. Natural resources shall not be wasted, but used with a restraint appropriate to the
principles set forth in the present Charter, in accordance with the following rules:
(a) Living resources shall not be utilized in excess of their natural capacity for regen-
eration;
(b) The productivity of soils shall be maintained or enhanced through measures which
safeguard their long-term fertility and the process of organic decomposition, and
prevent erosion and all other forms of degradation;
(c) Resources, including water, which are not consumed as they are used shall be reused
or recycled;
(d) Non-renewable resources which are consumed as they are used shall be exploited
with restraint, taking into account their abundance, their rational possibilities of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]