<P> The international community met twice to assess the progress made in implementing the principles of the document; first in New York in 1997 during a General Assembly Session of the UN, and then in Johannesburg in 2002 . While the document helped to raise environmental awareness, evidence shows that little has been achieved in the document's environmental goals . </P> <P> The Rio Declaration proclaims 27 principles . It includes formulations of the precautionary principle (principle 15) and of the polluter pays principle (principle 16). </P>

The rio declaration on environment and development supports