Outcome:	1. Environment			Question No: 86
Division/Agency:	PCEPD
Topic:	The Earth Charter
Hansard Page ECITA:	70

Senator Brown asked:
I have a question about the Earth Charter. That is the international document that has been approved by UNESCO, backed by UNESCO, the World Conservation Union, 14,000 community groups and a number of Latin American countries. What is the assessment process for the Earth Charter by the Department, and is it in fact being assessed?

Answer:
The 32nd General Conference of UNESCO in October 2003, at which Australia was represented, endorsed a resolution, which was adopted without a vote, "recognising the Earth Charter as an important ethical framework for sustainable development”. The Department has not further assessed the Earth Charter since that time.