United Nations Environment Programme

United Nations Environment Programme
(UN Environment)
AbbreviationUN Environment
UNEP
Formation5 June 1972; 52 years ago (1972-06-05)
TypeProgramme
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
Executive Director
Inger Andersen (since 2019)
Denmark
Parent organization
United Nations
Websitewww.unep.org Edit this at Wikidata

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system.[1][2] It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972. Its mandate is to provide leadership, deliver science and develop solutions on a wide range of issues, including climate change,[3] the management of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and green economic development.[4] The organization also develops international environmental agreements; publishes and promotes environmental science and helps national governments achieve environmental targets.

As a member of the United Nations Development Group, UNEP aims to help the world meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.[5] UNEP hosts the secretariats of several multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, including The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The Minamata Convention on Mercury, The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, The Convention on Migratory Species and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), among others.[6]

In 1988, the World Meteorological Organization and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).[7] UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.[8][9] UNEP sometimes uses the alternative name UN Environment.[10] The headquarters of the agency is in Nairobi, Kenya.

  1. ^ "Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others". un.org. November 18, 2014.
  2. ^ "About UN Environment Programme". UNEP. Archived from the original on 2020-04-09. Retrieved 2019-02-10.
  3. ^ "Climate Change". unep.org. 2021.
  4. ^ "Green Economy". unep.org. 2021.
  5. ^ "About » UNDG at the Global Level » UNDG". United Nations Development Group. 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Secretariats and Conventions". UNEP. 30 October 2017.
  7. ^ "History of the IPCC". IPCC.
  8. ^ Environment, U. N. "Global Environment Facility". Global Environment Facility. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  9. ^ Environment, U. N. (2018-10-29). "About Montreal Protocol". Ozonaction. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  10. ^ "Why does UN Environment Programme matter?". UNEP. 28 September 2017.