The Earth Charter is a declaration of international values and principles thought to be necessary for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful future.

Created by the largest global consultation process ever associated with an international declaration, endorsed by thousands of organizations representing millions of individuals, the Earth Charter seeks to inspire in all peoples a sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family and the larger living world.

The idea of a Charter originated in 1987, when the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development called for a new charter regarding fundamental principles for sustainable development. In 1992, the need for a charter was urged by then-Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.

In 1993, there was a conference in Rome organized by the Franziscan Study Center for Environment (Bernhard J. Prezwozny) where a first draft was formulated (together with Maurice Strong).

In 1994, the Earth Charter Initiative was formed by Canadian Maurice Strong, secretary general of the Earth Summit and chairman of the Earth Counsel, Mikhail Gorbachev, who was then president of Green Cross International, with support with the government of The Netherlands. The document was drafted from early 1997 to March 2000, through an international, open process.

It has not yet been endorsed by the United Nations, although the Earth Charter Organization is attempting to gain its international support.

*The Earth Charter (download)
We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise.

To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny.

We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.