• Fifty years after Sweden hosted the first-ever United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, thousands of participants are attending the two-day meeting – Stockholm+50 – convened by the United Nations and co-hosted by Sweden and Kenya.

• Stockholm+50 is an international meeting being held in Stockholm, Sweden from June 2-3, 2022.

• It commemorates the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and celebrates 50 years of global environmental action. 

• By recognising the importance of multilateralism in tackling the Earth’s triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, the summit aims to drive action toward a healthy planet for the prosperity of all.

Significance of 1972 Stockholm Conference

• Held in Stockholm in 1972, the Conference was attended by delegates from over 100 countries.

• It placed environmental action at the forefront of the global agenda and started a dialogue between industrialised and developing countries on the links between the environment, economic growth and human well-being.

• This landmark conference placed the environment on the global agenda and led to the formation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

• UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

• The Conference culminated in the adoption of the Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan for the Human Environment.

• It was the UN’s first major conference on international environmental issues, and marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics.

What to expect in Stockholm+50?

• The theme for the meeting is ‘Stockholm+50: A Healthy Planet for the Prosperity of All – Our Responsibility, Our Opportunity.’

• Stockholm+50 will feature four plenary sessions in which leaders will outline the bold and urgent action needed to safeguard planetary health and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

• Three Leadership Dialogues will focus on reflecting on the urgent need for actions to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity of all, achieving a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and accelerating the implementation of the environmental dimensions of Sustainable Development, producing clear and concrete recommendations and messages for action at all levels.

• Hundreds of side events, associated events and webinars – including many held ahead of and after the meeting – will address relevant themes of Stockholm+50 and further expand the scope of the conversation.

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