Section 86p. 86

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

non-exercise

of

the

rights

set

forth

in the present

Declaration.

ARTICLE 4

1. States shall take measures where required to ensure

that persons belonging to minorities may exercise fully

and effectively all their human rights and fundamental

freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality

before the law.

2.

States

shall

take

measures

to

create

favourable

conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to

express their characteristics and to develop their culture,

language, religion, traditions and customs, except where

specific practices are in violation of national law and

contrary to international standards.

3. States should take appropriate measures so that,

wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may

have

adequate

opportunities

to

learn

their

mother

tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue.

4. States should, where appropriate, take measures in the

field of education, in order to encourage knowledge of

the

history,

traditions,

language

and

culture of the

minorities

existing

within

their

territory.

Persons

belonging

to

minorities

should

have

adequate

opportunities to gain knowledge of the society as a

whole.

5. States should consider appropriate measures so that

persons belonging to minorities may participate fully in

the economic progress and development in their country.

ARTICLE 5

1. National policies and programmes shall be planned and

implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests

of persons belonging to minorities.

2. Programmes of cooperation and assistance among

States should be planned and implemented with due

regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging

to minorities.

ARTICLE 6

States should cooperate on questions relating to persons

belonging

to

minorities,

inter

alia ,

exchanging

information and experiences, in order to promote mutual

understanding and confidence.

ARTICLE 7

States should cooperate in order to promote respect for

the rights set forth in the present Declaration.

ARTICLE 8

1. Nothing in the present Declaration shall prevent the

fulfilment of international obligations of States in relation

to persons belonging to minorities. In particular, States

shall fulfil in good faith the obligations and commitments

they have assumed under international treaties and

agreements to which they are parties.

2. The exercise of the rights set forth in the present

Declaration shall not prejudice the enjoyment by all

persons of universally recognized human rights and

fundamental freedoms.

3. Measures taken by States to ensure the effective

enjoyment

of

the

rights

set

forth

in

the

present

Declaration shall not prima facie be considered contrary

to the principle of equality contained in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights.

4. Nothing in the present Declaration may be construed

as permitting any activity contrary to the purposes and

principles of the United Nations, including sovereign

equality, territorial integrity and political independence of

States.

ARTICLE 9

The specialized agencies and other organizations of the

United

Nations

system

shall

contribute

to

the

full

realization of the rights and principles set forth in the

present

Declaration,

within their respective fields of

competence.

(Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to

National or Ethnic Religious and Linguistic Minorities,

[December 18, 1992])

Declaration

of

the

United

Nations

Conference on the Human Environment

The

United

Nations

Conference

on

the

Human

Environment , having met at Stockholm from 5 to 16 June

1972, having considered the need for a common outlook

and for common principles to inspire and guide the

peoples

of

the

world

in

the

preservation

and

enhancement of the human environment,

Proclaims that:

1. Man is both creature and moulder of his environment,

which gives him physical sustenance and affords him the

opportunity for intellectual, moral, social and spiritual

growth. In the long and tortuous evolution of the human

race on this planet a stage has been reached when,

through the rapid acceleration of science and technology,

man

has

acquired

the

power

to

transform

his

environment in countless ways and on an unprecedented

scale. Both aspects of man's environment, the natural

and the man-made, are essential to his well-being and to

the enjoyment of basic human rights the right to life

itself.

2.

The

protection

and

improvement

of

the

human

environment is a major issue which affects the well-being

of peoples and economic development throughout the

world; it is the urgent desire of the peoples of the whole

world and the duty of all Governments.

3. Man has constantly to sum up experience and go on

discovering, inventing, creating and advancing. In our

time, man's capability to transform his surroundings, if

used wisely, can bring to all peoples the benefits of

development and the opportunity to enhance the quality

of life. Wrongly or heedlessly applied, the same power can

do incalculable harm to human beings and the human

environment. We see around us growing evidence of

man-made harm in many regions of the earth: dangerous

levels of pollution in water, air, earth and living beings;

major and undesirable disturbances to the ecological

balance of the biosphere; destruction and depletion of

irreplaceable resources; and gross deficiencies, harmful to

the physical, mental and social health of man, in the

man-made environment, particularly in the living and

working environment.

4. In the developing countries most of the environmental

problems are caused by under-development. Millions

continue to live far below the minimum levels required

for a decent human existence, deprived of adequate food

and

clothing,

shelter

and

education,

health

and

sanitation.

Therefore,

the

developing

countries must

direct their efforts to development, bearing in mind their

priorities and the need to safeguard and improve the

environment. For the same purpose, the industrialized

countries

should

make

efforts

to

reduce

the

gap

themselves

and

the

developing

countries.

In

the

industrialized

countries,

environmental

problems

are

generally related to industrialization and technological

development.

5. The natural growth of population continuously presents

problems for the preservation of the environment, and

adequate policies and measures should be adopted, as

appropriate, to face these problems. Of all things in the

world, people are the most precious. It is the people that

propel

social

progress,

create social wealth, develop

science and technology and, through their hard work,

continuously transform the human environment. Along

© Compiled by RGL

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