Earth Summit's declaration of interdependence

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November 2001

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Earth Summit's declaration of interdependence

Earth Summit's declaration of interdependence
On September 29, participants gathered in seven U.S. cities for workshops and a satellite-linked telecast to launch the Earth Charter, a document setting forth an integrated vision of the interconnection of the world's environmental, economic, social, cultural, ethical, and spiritual issues.

Calling for a "global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the desturction of ourselves and the diversity of life," the Charter responds to these problems by promoting a 16-point statement of principles—the heart of the Charter itself—organized under four themes: respect and care for the community of life; ecological integrity; social and economic justice; and democracy, nonviolence, and peace.

Over a period of more than 10 years, thousands of people and organizations in 56 countries have met at the grassroots level to draft the Charter, which supporters refer to as an a "declaration of interdependence." In its preamble, the Charter cites a number of destructive but reversible global trends. "Dominant patterns" of production and consumption are causing the depletion of resources and massive extinction of species. In addition, inequities in the benefits of development and the distribution of wealth, the pressures of human population growth on ecological and social systems, and the suffering caused by inustice, poverty, ignorance, and violent conflict are threatening global security.

The Charter was first proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development—also known as the Brundtland Committee—which was established in 1983 by the United Nations General Assembly to formulate global environmental strategies and new ways to reconcile the objectives of development and the protection of natural resources. After the 1992 Rio Earth Summit failed to agree on a text for the Earth Charter, the forum of nongovernmental organizations at the Rio conference debated and eventually endorsed a draft of the Earth Charter.

In 1995, Maurice Strong, chair of the Earth Council, former Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, president of Green Cross International, and former Netherlands President Ruud Lubbers called a meeting in The Hague to revive the development of the Charter. In 1997, national Charter committees met in more than 40 countries, including the U.S., where more than 2,000 people participated in meetings.

Professor Steven Rockefeller, chairperson of the international drafting committee, calls the charter's drafting process the "most open and participatory consultation process ever conducted in connection with the drafting of an international document."—Joel Schorn

For more information:
Earth Charter Summit
Transform the World

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