Various efforts aimed at addressing environmental degradation now accord significanceto socio-economic concerns. This transformation in thinking is reflected in documents arising out of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the North American Agreement on Environmental Co-operation, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and a host of guidelines, action plans, and legal documents of the various United Nations organizations and other institutions.
All mainstream definitions of sustainable development share three characteristics. First,achieving sustainable development requires integrating policies related to social justice, environmental protection, and economic development. Second, the interests of future generations must be taken into account. And third, transparency and public participation at all levels of decision-making, from local to global, are essential to achieving sustainable development. The international community has recognized these characteristics, for instance, at the 1995 World Summit on Social Development and at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.