Obligations of justice towards future generations : a revolution in social and legal thought

Abstract

An impressive series of conventions, charters, documents, agreements and treaties adopted by international conferences and international organizations, in particular the United Nations, some of which deal with global issues and others which are regional in their application, reflect concern for the future of humankind and set forth principles or obligations intended to protect and enhance the well-being of both present and future generations. Since the 1972 Stockholm United Nations (UN) Conference on the Human Environment, most countries, whatever their political systems or levels of economic development, have in general shown a remarkable willingness to adopt new rules to regulate environmental issues. Many of these environmental policies specifically single out the responsibilities of the present generation to bequeath to posterity a world worth living in.