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NATURAL RESOURCES
Protection of Natural Resources
We recognize that the environment is the pillar of development, and observe that it is the resource basis that provides the elements for subsistence. It constitutes the material basis for wealth and prosperity of all people. We express our deepest preoccupation for the actual state of destruction of the planet - disappearance of forests, loss of biodiversity, global warming and ozone layer thinning. If we do not act immediately, this situation could result in an irreversible catastrophe of unforeseen consequences. We recognize that the actual development model is based not only on the exploitation of natural resources, but also on social injustice, and condemns a large percentage of the population to extreme poverty. The majority of the population in the South fail to have control over their natural resources. Part of this lack of control is caused by multinational corporations' exploitation of raw materials from the South - which provides cheap labour - to be processed in the North. The final products are then exported back to the South at exorbitant prices. All of these activities have contributed to the over-exploitation of natural resources in the South, and the resulting environmental crisis that we face today. Youth 92: The World Youth Statement and Plan of Action on Environment and Development