United Nations Environment Programme

Description

The United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, is the United Nations’ leading global authority on the environment.

Founded in 1972 following the Stockholm Conference, it coordinates the UN system’s response to environmental issues. It works on what it calls the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. Its headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, and it employs a workforce of nearly 3,000 people across 41 countries and territories.

UNEP acts as a neutral convener of member states, civil society, the private sector and other UN agencies. It hosts the United Nations Environment Assembly, the highest-level global decision-making body on the environment, with all 193 UN member states taking part. It provides science, monitoring and assessment of the global environment, and helps develop international environmental agreements and national environmental policy.

It hosts the secretariats of several multilateral agreements, including the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the Convention on Migratory Species and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. It also supports the Regional Seas Programme protecting oceans and seas, and runs advocacy, awards and education initiatives on environmental issues. Through advice, funding support and technical guidance, it helps governments build environmental institutions, sound legislation and capacity, in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.