Looking Through Indira Gandhi’s Vision: Some Recollections⁺

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Singh, Karan^{; *}

Affiliations: Union Minister in the Cabinet of Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi (1967-1977); Member of the Parliament of India (1967to 2018)

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: [email protected].

Note: [+] The author (91) has been a former Prince Regent, the Sadr-i-Riyasat, and the first Governor of the State of Jammu and Kashmir (1949 to 1967). He was placed in charge of the State of Jammu & Kashmir that joined India after his father Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947. During his long innings, the author has been closely associated with protection and promotion of the environment. This contribution has been finalized after in-person sitting with the author on 27 April 2022 – Editor-in-Chief.

Abstract: The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) was held in Stockholm during 5–16 June 1972. The Indian Delegation was personally led by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. As a Cabinet Minister this author was a member of it. Hence, this contribution is a personal reflection of the author. India has been an active participant in all the major global environmental conferences to protect the global environment. The 1992 Rio Conference is considered the landmark for the starting point of international environmental law-making. Still, it is the 1972 Stockholm Conference that should be considered as the pillar for the codification of international environmental law and governance. In view of this, the Stockholm +50 (2-3 June 2022) Conference was a good occasion to review the successes and failures over the last half a century and reiterate the call for all nations to co-operate fully to meet their commitments under multilateral environmental agreements including 2015 Paris Agreement. This recollection provides a glimpse, through Indira Gandhi’s vision, into the international environmental processes and the prospects for the Stockholm+50 and beyond.

Keywords: Stockholm conference, Indira Gandhi, UNEP, international environmental conferences, global environmental authority, Stockholm+50

DOI: 10.3233/EPL-219037

Journal: Environmental Policy and Law, vol. 52, no. 3-4, pp. 173-177, 2022