Page 231 - El État de los derechos humanos en el desarrollo sostenible

EL ETAT DE LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS EN EL DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE

286
definition of sustainable development established by the Brundtland report , the focus is put
on human beings, on individuals and their needs. This is reaffirmed in principal 1 of the Rio
Declaration on the environment and development, where the human being seems to be at the

heart of all the concern: “Principal 1: human beings are at the centre of concern relating to

287
sustainable development. ” (it’s the author who underlines). In this sense, we deduce that
under this perspective, nature and the environment are only tools to benefit the human
species, even to the detriment to the other species on earth. Consequently, the rationality of

sustainable development would be limited by the needs of man. Therefore, the conservation

of nature will pass through a model of societal interest with the limits of human altruism due
to personal, familial and community concerns. Nature is important insofar as it represents a

288
benefit for humans. In contrast, the vision put forward by the living-well approach, being an
ecocentric vision, conceives the human being as part of the earth and the entire planet, a
species that must life in harmony with nature, in all respect for the other species that inhabit

the world.

This new paradigm recognises the nature and the ecosystems like the subjects of rights, a

situation which is spreading more and more throughout the world (India, New Zealand,

Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia). Nature, rivers and living beings are thus regarded as beings

whose importance goes beyond the benefits they can bring directly to human beings. This

286 Rapport Brundtland, préc., note 15.
287 Déclaration de Rio, préc., note 17..
288 Claudia E. TOCA TORRES, « Las versiones del desarrollo sostenible », (2011) 14-1 Sociedade e Cultura, 195,
198, on line: http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/703/70320084019.pdf.

233