Nairobi Declaration, 1982 | The Ten-Year Review That Led to "Sustainable Development" — MCQs

All questions with answers and explanations

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1. What actually took place in Nairobi in 1982?

   • A binding treaty called the 'Nairobi Convention' was signed
   • A UNEP Governing Council Special Session marking Stockholm's tenth anniversary, adopting the non-binding Nairobi Declaration (correct answer)
   • The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated
   • The Rio Earth Summit was held

   Explanation. There is no binding 'Nairobi Convention'; the 1982 Nairobi session was a UNEP Governing Council Special Session that adopted the non-binding Nairobi Declaration.

2. What did the Nairobi Declaration conclude about environmental progress since Stockholm (1972)?

   • All environmental problems had been fully solved
   • It expressed satisfaction at progress since 1972 and anxiety about the future (correct answer)
   • No further international cooperation was needed
   • Stockholm's Principles had been formally repealed

   Explanation. Reports of the session say the Declaration was positive about progress since 1972 but anxious about the future, and called for fresh commitment to environmental protection.

3. The Nairobi session's recommendation for a special commission directly led to the creation of:

   • The World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission), 1983 (correct answer)
   • The World Trade Organization
   • The International Court of Justice
   • The United Nations Security Council

   Explanation. UN General Assembly Resolution 38/161 (1983) established the World Commission on Environment and Development, chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland.

4. The Brundtland Commission's 1987 report, 'Our Common Future', is significant because it:

   • Banned all industrial development worldwide
   • Popularised the now-standard definition of 'sustainable development' (correct answer)
   • Created the United Nations Environment Programme
   • Established the Ramsar Convention

   Explanation. 'Our Common Future' popularised the definition of sustainable development as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own.

5. What is the correct historical chain linking Stockholm to 'sustainable development'?

   • Stockholm (1972) directly invented the term itself
   • Stockholm (1972) → Nairobi review (1982) → Brundtland Commission → 'Our Common Future' (1987) → Rio Earth Summit (1992) (correct answer)
   • Kyoto Protocol (1997) → Stockholm (1972)
   • Paris Agreement (2016) → Nairobi (1982)

   Explanation. The Nairobi review (1982) recommended the commission that became the Brundtland Commission, whose 1987 report fed into the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

6. Which UN General Assembly Resolution established the World Commission on Environment and Development?

   • Resolution 2997 (XXVII), 1972
   • Resolution 38/161, 1983 (correct answer)
   • Resolution 2398 (XXIII), 1968
   • Resolution 44/228, 1989

   Explanation. UN General Assembly Resolution 38/161 of 1983 established the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission).