THE 1972 STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE: SIGNIFICANCE FOR UKRAINE AND WORLD

Abstract

The article examines the 1972 UN Conference on the Environment in Stockholm, which became the first world event that identified the issue of environmental protection as a major global problem. The purpose of the article is to generate an additional discussion on historical and legal particularities and the perception of environmental protection and sustainable development both at the global level and in Ukraine. This year, 2022, an international meeting Stockholm+50 was held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Conference, which gives a newfound relevance of the study and allows us to commemorate the anniversary providing reflection on its significance. That time ambiguity of the concept "human environment" gave the participants an opportunity to formulate their own social and scientific position for global interactions during the Stockholm 1972. The geopolitical obstacles for productive cooperation at the Conference are mentioned, such as the Cold War, the boycott by the countries of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, etc. But still, Stockholm Conference became an arena for global discussions and a way to the unified perception of the concept of human environment by various actors. The standpoints of foreign and Ukrainian scientists regarding the importance of the conference are considered, as long as the the data of the United Nations Digital Library System on the Stockholm 1972 and preliminary aсtions for preparation in the Conference are analysed. Analyzing Ukrainian legal acts and viewpoints of Ukrainian scholars, the author comes to conclusion that the ‘Stockholm 1972’ became a driver for further changes in the global actions and perception of its necessity both worldwide and in Ukraine.