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In their actions to achieve the objective of the Convention and to implement its
provisions, the Parties shall be guided, inter alia, by the following:
- The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future
generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed
country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects
thereof.
- The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties, especially
those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, and of those
Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would have to bear a disproportionate
or abnormal burden under the Convention, should be given full consideration.
- The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the
causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of
serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a
reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that policies and measures to
deal with climate change should be cost-effective so as to ensure global benefits at the
lowest possible cost. To achieve this, such policies and measures should take into account
different socio-economic contexts, be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and
reservoirs of greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic sectors. Efforts
to address climate change may be carried out cooperatively by interested Parties.
- The Parties have a right to, and should, promote sustainable development. Policies
and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced change should be
appropriate for the specific conditions of each Party and should be integrated with national
development programmes, taking into account that economic development is essential for
adopting measures to address climate change.
- The Parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international
economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth and development in all
Parties, particularly developing country Parties, thus enabling them better to address the
problems of climate change. Measures taken to combat climate change, including
unilateral ones, should not constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or
a disguised restriction on international trade.
[ INDEX ] ARTICLE 2 ARTICLE 4
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