1. Sustainable Development

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs through empowerment, consultation, impact and risk assessment, the expansion of opportunities and capacities and public participation and by integrating three pillars, social justice, economic growth and environmental protection.

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ILA New Delhi Declaration 2002
Seven Principles of Sustainable Development

2. Sustainable use of natural resources

States are under a duty to manage natural resources in a rational, sustainable and safe way so as to contribute to the development of their peoples, with particular regard for the rights of indigenous peoples, the conservation and protection of the environment, including ecosystems, and by taking into account the needs of future generations in determining the rate of use of natural resources.

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3. Equity and poverty eradication

States are under the duty to promote inter-generational equity, the rights of future generations to enjoy a fair level of the common patrimony, and intra-generational equity, the rights of all peoples within the current generation of fair access to the current generation’s entitlement to the Earth’s natural resources.

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4. Integration

The interdependence of social, economic, financial, environmental and human rights aspects of principles and rules of international law relating to sustainable development as well as of the needs of current and future generations of humankind.

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5. Precaution

The commitments of States, International Organizations and civil society, particularly the scientific and business communities, to avoid human activity which may cause significant harm to human health, natural resources or ecosystems, including in the face of scientific uncertainty.

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6. Openness

Public participation is essential to sustainable development and good governance in that it is a condition of responsive, transparent and accountable governments as well as a condition for the active engagement of equally responsive, transparent and accountable civil society organizations, including industrial concerns and trade unions.

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7. Common but differentiated responsibilities

All States are under a duty to co-operate in the achievement of global sustainable development and the protection of the environment, but in doing so, the special needs and interests of developing countries and of countries with economies in transition, with particular regard to least developed countries and those affected adversely by environmental, social and developmental considerations, should be recognized.

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8. Good governance

The commitment by States and international organizations to adopt democratic and transparent decision-making procedures and financial accountability, to take effective measures to combat official or other corruption, to respect due process in their procedures and to observe the rule of law and human rights and to implement a public procurement approach according to the WTO Code on Public Procurement.

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