UN General Assembly
1972

109. In its beginnings, the current perception that the preservation of tire environment must be tire concern of all mankind derived from the perception of the developed States that the pollution which accompanies their major industries can endanger and irretrievably damage life- support systems of air, land and water on our planet Earth. Out of this perception there has emerged, principally but not exclusively in the developed world, a growing concern over disturbances to the ecological balance of the biosphere and a new awareness of the finiteness of the world's resources of ocean, atmosphere and land, a concern and an awareness which are beginning to exert an influence on matters that affect the peace of the world and the quality of life on earth. We are, in fact, witnessing the birth of a new sense of community between man and the other life forms, a sense of belonging to and living together on a small planetary body whose limited resources are the heritage of all life.