The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by GA res. 2997 (XXVII) (1972) following the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It aims to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life, without compromising that of future generations.
In 1997, the Governing Council adopted the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the UN Environment Programme, which established the following core mandate for UNEP:
Analyse the state of the global environment and assess global and regional environmental trends, provide policy advice and early warning information on environmental threats, and promote international cooperation and action, based on the best scientific and technical capabilities available
Further the development of international environmental law aimed at sustainable development, including the links between existing international environmental conventions
Advance agreed international norms and policies, monitor and foster compliance with environmental principles and international agreements, and stimulate cooperation on emerging environmental challenges
Strengthen its role in coordinating environmental activities in the UN system, and its role as an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility
Promote greater awareness of and facilitate effective cooperation in implementing the international environmental agenda, and serve as an effective link between the scientific community and policy-makers at national and international levels
Provide policy and advisory services in key areas of institution-building to governments and other relevant institutions.
In 2005, the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum adopted the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building. This was developed to meet the urgent need from within developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, for technology support and capacity-building.
In 2008, the Council/Forum adopted a decision on the Medium-term Strategy of UNEP for the period 2010-13, authorising the Executive Director to use the Strategy in formulating the Strategic Frameworks aud the programme of work and budget for the periods 2010-11 and 2012-13.
In 2010, the Council/Forum adopted the Nusa Dua Declaration, in preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20 conference, in June 2012. The Declaration articulated the determination and commitments by ministers responsible for the environment to address major issues, namely climate change, international environmental governance and sustainable development, green economy, biodiversity and ecosystems.
Governing Council
Secretariat
Environment Fund (voluntary)
Committee of Permanent Representatives
The Governing Council reports to the General Assembly through ECOSOC, and its regular sessions are held every two years. GA res. 53/242 (1999) instituted an annual ministerial-level global environmental forum, constituted by the Governing Council in the years that it meets in regular session and, in alternate years, by a special session of the Governing Council.
The Governing Council comprises 58 members elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms on the basis of 16 seats for African states, 13 for Asian states, six for Eastern European states, 10 for Latin American and Caribbean states, and 13 for Western European and Other states. Terms expire on 31 December of the year stated.
African States Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo Cote d'Ivoire DR Congo Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libyan AJ Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tunisia Uganda UR of Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe
Asian states Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan China Cyprus DPRK Fiji India Indonesia Iran Iraq Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Malaysia Marshall Islands Myanmar Nepal Oman Pakistan Papua New Guinea Philippines ROK Samoa Saudi Arabia Sri Lanka Syrian AR Thailand Tuvalu UAE
Eastern European states Belarus Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Hungary Poland Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Serbia and Montenegro Serbia Slovakia Ukraine
Latin American and Caribbean states Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Barbados Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Peru Suriname Trinidad and Tobago Uruguay Venezuela
Western European and other states Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Israel Italy Malta Monaco Netherdands New Zealand Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey UK USA
The 26th regular session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum was held from 21 to 24 February 2011 in Nairobi. The 12th special session will be held from 20 to 22 February 2012 (venue to be decided), and its 27th session from 18 to 22 February 2013 in Nairobi.
PO Box 30552 Gigiri, Nairobi 00100 Kenya Telephone: (+254 20) 762 1234 Fax (+254 20) 762 3 927/3692 Email: unepinfo@unep.org
Organ(s)
Category
HQ location
Date established
Resolution
Leadership
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by GA res. 2997 (XXVII) (1972) following the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It aims to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life, without compromising that of future generations.
In 1997, the Governing Council adopted the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of the UN Environment Programme, which established the following core mandate for UNEP:
In 2005, the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum adopted the Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity-building. This was developed to meet the urgent need from within developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, for technology support and capacity-building.
In 2008, the Council/Forum adopted a decision on the Medium-term Strategy of UNEP for the period 2010-13, authorising the Executive Director to use the Strategy in formulating the Strategic Frameworks aud the programme of work and budget for the periods 2010-11 and 2012-13.
In 2010, the Council/Forum adopted the Nusa Dua Declaration, in preparation for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20 conference, in June 2012. The Declaration articulated the determination and commitments by ministers responsible for the environment to address major issues, namely climate change, international environmental governance and sustainable development, green economy, biodiversity and ecosystems.
The Governing Council reports to the General Assembly through ECOSOC, and its regular sessions are held every two years. GA res. 53/242 (1999) instituted an annual ministerial-level global environmental forum, constituted by the Governing Council in the years that it meets in regular session and, in alternate years, by a special session of the Governing Council.
The Governing Council comprises 58 members elected by the General Assembly for four-year terms on the basis of 16 seats for African states, 13 for Asian states, six for Eastern European states, 10 for Latin American and Caribbean states, and 13 for Western European and Other states. Terms expire on 31 December of the year stated.
African States
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
DR Congo
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libyan AJ
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tunisia
Uganda
UR of Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asian states
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
China
Cyprus
DPRK
Fiji
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Myanmar
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
ROK
Samoa
Saudi Arabia
Sri Lanka
Syrian AR
Thailand
Tuvalu
UAE
Eastern European states
Belarus
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Russian Federation
Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia
Slovakia
Ukraine
Latin American and Caribbean states
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Peru
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Western European and other states
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Israel
Italy
Malta
Monaco
Netherdands
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UK
USA
The 26th regular session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum was held from 21 to 24 February 2011 in Nairobi. The 12th special session will be held from 20 to 22 February 2012 (venue to be decided), and its 27th session from 18 to 22 February 2013 in Nairobi.
PO Box 30552
Gigiri, Nairobi 00100
Kenya
Telephone: (+254 20) 762 1234
Fax (+254 20) 762 3 927/3692
Email: unepinfo@unep.org
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