TheLangkawi Declaration on the Environment was a declaration issued by the assembledHeads of Government of theCommonwealth of Nations on the issue ofenvironmental sustainability. It was issued on October 21, 1989, atLangkawi,Malaysia, during the tenthCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The declaration covers a wide range of topics related to the environment, blaming 'past neglect in managing thenatural environment and resources'.[1] It lists what the Heads of Governments perceived to be the main environmental problems: thegreenhouse effect, damage to theozone layer,acid rain,marine pollution,land degradation, and speciesextinction. These, the declaration affirmed, were issues that transcended national borders, and hence required the involvement of international organisations, such as the Commonwealth, to coordinate strategies to solve them.[1]
A key agreement in the formulation of the agreement was the pledge bydeveloped countries not to connect future internationaldevelopment aid to commit to environmental sustainability or introducetrade barriers.[2] This, the developing countries argued, would prevent economic growth (described as a 'compelling necessity'),[1] and hence reduce their ability to develop sustainable natural environments. In exchange, the developing countries conceded to the Commonwealth's developed members (particularlyAustralia,Canada,New Zealand, and theUnited Kingdom) their interest in protecting the environment.[2]
Amongst the commitments made by members in the Langkawi Declaration were:[1]