Earth Charter History

A "soft law" initiative

Despite repeated efforts, the international community of nation states has not yet been able to agree on an effective international treaty which guarantees the rights of the Earth. The creation of international law is renowned as being a slow and tedious process. By focusing on "soft law" - i.e. the creation of an Earth Charter which provides a set of guiding principles - Green Cross believes that a more pragmatic, positive climate for effective action on a global scale will enhance concrete efforts to protect our living environment.

Mikhail Gorbachev, President of Green Cross International, and Maurice Strong, Chairman of the Earth Council, met in the Hague in April 1994 and agreed to launch The Earth Charter initiative. In an Earth Charter workshop held in the Hague in May 1995, using many relevant declarations and conventions completed during the last two decades, the key points for an Earth Charter were identified:

The Earth Charter should be a product of a worldwide process of consultation and engagement involving a broad and representative cross section of people from all sectors and groups of society.
The Earth Charter should advance a clear and timeless expression of the ethical and moral imperatives for achieving sustainability locally, nationally and globally.

The Earth Charter should first and foremost be a "people's charter" which addresses, engages and belongs to everyone around the world. The Earth Charter should build on achievements of previous declarations and conventions. It should introduce or re-emphasize ethical and moral imperatives and norms for individual, communal, national and inter-state behavior which are not adequately addressed or included in previous documents.

On the occasion of the United Nations 50 th anniversary in June 1995, these and many more basic elements were presented. Now the process of discussion and negotiation will be opened worldwide, aiming at contributing a final draft to the UN General Assembly's fifth anniversary review in 1997 of progress made and needed since the Rio Conference. Once an Earth Charter is accepted in draft form in 1997, it will require an internationally coordinated campaign to mobilize broad public support in order to get the governments of each country to ratify the Charter in time for its proclamation on January 1, 2000.

Back to Earth Charter

Bookmark This Page