Johannesburg Declaration

on Sustainable Development

From our origins to the future

1. We, the representatives of the peoples of the world, assembled at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2 to 4 September 2002, reaffirm our
commitment to sustainable development.
2. We commit ourselves to building a humane, equitable and caring global society, cognizant of
the need for human dignity for all.
3. At the beginning of this Summit, the children of the world spoke to us in a simple yet clear
voice that the future belongs to them, and accordingly challenged all of us to ensure that through
our actions they will inherit a world free of the indignity and indecency occasioned by poverty,
environmental degradation and patterns of unsustainable development.
4. As part of our response to these children, who represent our collective future, all of us,
coming from every corner of the world, informed by different life experiences, are united and
moved by a deeply felt sense that we urgently need to create a new and brighter world of hope.
5. Accordingly, we assume a collective responsibility to advance and strengthen the
interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development — economic
development, social development and environmental protection — at the local, national, regional
and global levels.
6. From this continent, the cradle of humanity, we declare, through the Plan of Implementation of
the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the present Declaration, our responsibility to
one another, to the greater community of life and to our children.
7. Recognizing that humankind is at a crossroads, we have united in a common resolve to make a
determined effort to respond positively to the need to produce a practical and visible plan to
bring about poverty eradication and human development.

From Stockholm to Rio de Janeiro to Johannesburg

8. Thirty years ago, in Stockholm, we agreed on the urgent need to respond to the problem of
environmental deterioration.1 Ten years ago, at the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro,2 we agreed that the protection of the environment and
social and economic development are fundamental to sustainable development, based on the Rio
Principles. To achieve such development, we adopted the global programme entitled Agenda 213
and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,3 to which we reaffirm our
commitment. The Rio Conference was a significant milestone that set a new agenda for sustainable
development.
9. Between Rio and Johannesburg, the world’s nations have met in several major conferences
under the auspices of the United Nations, including the International Conference on Financing for

1 Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 5-16 June
1972 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.73.II.A.14 and corrigendum), chap. I.
2 Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14
June 1992 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vols. I-III.
3 Ibid., vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annexes I and II.
Development,4 as well as the Doha Ministerial Conference.5 These conferences defined for the
world a comprehensive vision for the future of humanity.
10. At the Johannesburg Summit, we have achieved much in bringing together a rich tapestry of
peoples and views in a constructive search for a common path towards a world that respects and
implements the vision of sustainable development. The Johannesburg Summit has also confirmed
that significant progress has been made towards achieving a global consensus and partnership
among all the people of our planet.

The challenges we face

11. We recognize that poverty eradication, changing consumption and production patterns and
protecting and managing the natural resource base for economic and social development are
overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development.
12. The deep fault line that divides human society between the rich and the poor and the ever-
increasing gap between the developed and developing worlds pose a major threat to global
prosperity, security and stability.
13. The global environment continues to suffer. Loss of biodiversity continues, fish stocks continue
to be depleted, desertification claims more and more fertile land, the adverse effects of climate
change are already evident, natural disasters are more frequent and more devastating, and
developing countries more vulnerable, and air, water and marine pollution continue to rob millions
of a decent life.
14. Globalization has added a new dimension to these challenges. The rapid integration of markets,
mobility of capital and significant increases in investment flows around the world have opened new
challenges and opportunities for the pursuit of sustainable development. But the benefits and costs
of globalization are unevenly distributed, with developing countries facing special difficulties in
meeting this challenge.
15. We risk the entrenchment of these global disparities and unless we act in a manner that
fundamentally changes their lives the poor of the world may lose confidence in their
representatives and the democratic systems to which we remain committed, seeing their
representatives as nothing more than sounding brass or tinkling cymbals.

Our commitment to sustainable development

16. We are determined to ensure that our rich diversity, which is our collective strength, will be
used for constructive partnership for change and for the achievement of the common goal of
sustainable development.
17. Recognizing the importance of building human solidarity, we urge the promotion of dialogue
and cooperation among the world’s civilizations and peoples, irrespective of race, disabilities,
religion, language, culture or tradition.
18. We welcome the focus of the Johannesburg Summit on the indivisibility of human dignity and
are resolved, through decisions on targets, timetables and partnerships, to speedily increase access
to such basic requirements as clean water, sanitation, adequate shelter, energy, health care, food
security and the protection of biodiversity. At the same time, we will work together to help one
another gain access to financial resources, benefit from the opening of markets, ensure capacity-
building, use modern technology to bring about development and make sure that there is

4 Report of the International Conference on Financing for Development, Monterrey, Mexico,

18-22 March 2002 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.02.II.A.7), chap. I, resolution 1,
annex.
5 See A/C.2/56/7, annex.
technology transfer, human resource development, education and training to banish
underdevelopment forever.
19. We reaffirm our pledge to place particular focus on, and give priority attention to, the fight
against the worldwide conditions that pose severe threats to the sustainable development of our
people, which include: chronic hunger; malnutrition; foreign occupation; armed conflict; illicit drug
problems; organized crime; corruption; natural disasters; illicit arms trafficking; trafficking in
persons; terrorism; intolerance and incitement to racial, ethnic, religious and other hatreds;
xenophobia; and endemic, communicable and chronic diseases, in particular HIV/AIDS, malaria and
tuberculosis.
20. We are committed to ensuring that women’s empowerment, emancipation and gender equality
are integrated in all the activities encompassed within Agenda 21, the Millennium development
goals6 and the Plan of Implementation of the Summit.
21. We recognize the reality that global society has the means and is endowed with the resources
to address the challenges of poverty eradication and sustainable development confronting all
humanity. Together, we will take extra steps to ensure that these available resources are used to
the benefit of humanity.
22. In this regard, to contribute to the achievement of our development goals and targets, we urge
developed countries that have not done so to make concrete efforts reach the internationally
agreed levels of official development assistance.
23. We welcome and support the emergence of stronger regional groupings and alliances, such as
the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to promote regional cooperation, improved
international cooperation and sustainable development.
24. We shall continue to pay special attention to the developmental needs of small island
developing States and the least developed countries.
25. We reaffirm the vital role of the indigenous peoples in sustainable development.
26. We recognize that sustainable development requires a long-term perspective and broad-based
participation in policy formulation, decision-making and implementation at all levels. As social
partners, we will continue to work for stable partnerships with all major groups, respecting the
independent, important roles of each of them.
27. We agree that in pursuit of its legitimate activities the private sector, including both large and
small companies, has a duty to contribute to the evolution of equitable and sustainable
communities and societies.
28. We also agree to provide assistance to increase income-generating employment opportunities,
taking into account the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work of the
International Labour Organization.7
29. We agree that there is a need for private sector corporations to enforce corporate
accountability, which should take place within a transparent and stable regulatory environment.
30. We undertake to strengthen and improve governance at all levels for the effective
implementation of Agenda 21, the Millennium development goals and the Plan of Implementation of
the Summit.

6 See General Assembly resolution 55/2.

7 See ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up Adopted by
the International Labour Conference at its Eighty-sixth Session, Geneva, 18 June 1998 (Geneva,
International Labour Office, 1998).
Multilateralism is the future

31. To achieve our goals of sustainable development, we need more effective, democratic and
accountable international and multilateral institutions.
32. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United
Nations and international law, as well as to the strengthening of multilateralism. We support the
leadership role of the United Nations as the most universal and representative organization in the
world, which is best placed to promote sustainable development.
33. We further commit ourselves to monitor progress at regular intervals towards the
achievement of our sustainable development goals and objectives.

Making it happen!
34. We are in agreement that this must be an inclusive process, involving all the major groups and
Governments that participated in the historic Johannesburg Summit.
35. We commit ourselves to act together, united by a common determination to save our planet,
promote human development and achieve universal prosperity and peace.
36. We commit ourselves to the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable
Development and to expediting the achievement of the time-bound, socio-economic and
environmental targets contained therein.
37. From the African continent, the cradle of humankind, we solemnly pledge to the peoples of the
world and the generations that will surely inherit this Earth that we are determined to ensure that
our collective hope for sustainable development is realized.