The United Nations Declaration of The Human Environment in 1972 in Stockholm declares 26 principles concerning the preservation and enhancement of the human environment. Among them, Principle 24 declares that "International matters concerning the protection and improvement of the environment should be handled in a cooperative spirit by all countries, big and small, on an equal footing. Cooperation through multilateral or bilateral arrangements or other appropriate means is essential to effectively control, prevent, reduce and eliminate adverse environmental effects resulting from activities conducted in all spheres, in such a way that due account is taken of the sovereignty and interests of all States".