The United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) is the leading global environmental authority that sets

the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable
development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.

Our mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing,
and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, we work through our divisions as well as our regional, liaison and out-posted offices
and a growing network of collaborating centres of excellence. We also host several environmental conventions,
secretariats and inter-agency coordinating bodies. UN Environment is led by our Executive Director Erik Solheim and
Deputy Executive Director.

We categorize our work into seven broad thematic areas: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem
management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and environment under review. In
all of our work, we maintain our overarching commitment to sustainability.

Every year, we honour and celebrate individuals and institutions that are doing outstanding work on behalf of the
environment.

We also host the secretariats of many critical multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, bringing
together nations and the environmental community to tackle the greatest challenges of our time. These include the
following:

The Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

The Minamata Convention on Mercury

The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol

The Convention on Migratory Species

The Carpathian Convention

The Bamako Convention

The Tehran Convention

Why does the UN Environmnemt matter?

The Environmental, social and economic sustainability framework

The Environmental, social and economic sustainability framework improves business practices of the UN Environment
by integrating standardized and structured sustainability measures across all of its work. This Framework sets
minimum safeguard standards for UN Environment and its implementing/executing partners and enables UN
Environment to anticipate and manage associated environmental, social and economic issues in a holistic manner.

The Framework serves five broad purposes:

Getting ready for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda
through closer engagement with UN entities and partners to strengthen development aid by routinely integrating the
environmental, social and economic dimensions related to its activities.
Sets safeguard standards for the operations confirming accountability of UN Environment to member states, and
funders.

Enables UN Environment to minimize potential risks and harm while enhancing the capabilities and credibility of UN
Environment with strengthened partnerships.

Allows UN Environment to identify the full life-cycle costs of its operational choices and to operate more sustainably
while improving efficiency over time.

Enables UN Environment to respond more promptly and effectively to emerging environmental, social and economic
issues as an attractive and trusted implementing/executing partner.

The Framework serves its broad purposes by employing two overarching Principles--the precautionary approach and
human rights-based approach--plus nine Safeguard Standards, which are:

Biodiversity conservation, natural habitats, and sustainable management of living resources

Resource efficiency, pollution prevention and management of chemicals and wastes

Safety of dams

Involuntary resettlement

Indigenous peoples

Labor and working conditions

Protection of tangible cultural heritage

Gender equality

Economic sustainability

These Safeguard Standards mainly reflect a “do no harm” commitment, but as the implementation of the Framework
evolves, they will be expanded into a comprehensive “do good” commitment in line with intention of the UN
Environment to promote environmental, social and economic sustainability in what the organization does. UN
Environment projects and their related Safeguard documents are disclosed to solicit involvement of the concerned
stakeholders and public.

Any project-related concerns and complaints can be raised through UN Environment Project concerns or mailed to
IOSSR@un.org. Step by step guidance on the compliance or grievance matters, such as eligibility, process and contact
information, are available in the Environmental, social and economic sustainability Framework: Stakeholder Response
Mechanism. Concerns and complaints on proposed projects or projects under implementation can be raised through
Project concern.

Visit following UN Environment Programme policies that are related to the Framework:

Policy guidance on environment, human rights and addressing inequalities

Indigenous people policy

Policy and strategy on gender equality and the environment

Promoting greater protection for environmental defenders

Partnership policy
Organizational structure
UN Environment’s global and cross-sectoral outlook is reflected in its organizational structure, activities and
personnel.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, UN Environment is led by a Senior Management Team that's chaired by
our Executive Director. We work through our divisions, regional, liaison and out-posted offices, plus a growing
network of collaborating centres of excellence. UN Environment also hosts several environmental conventions,
secretariats and inter-agency coordinating bodies.
Partners
We work with governments, businesses, academic institutions, and civil society groups around the world to strengthen
our ability to address complex environmental challenges.
 Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE)
 BCA Centre for Sustainable Buildings (CSB)
 Environmental Management Group
 Frankfurt School of Finance and Management
 Global Efficient Lighting Centre (GELC)
 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
 Global Resource Information Database (GRID)
 The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
 UN Environment Collaborating Centre on Water and Environment (UCC-Water)
 UN Environment - DTU Partnership
 UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC)
 UN Environment International Ecosystem Management Partnership
 United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR)
Secretariats and Conventions
UN Environment hosts the secretariats for many critical multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies,
bringing together nations and the environmental community to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.

Secretariat
 Ozone Secretariat
Conventions
 Bamako Convention
 Basel Convention
 Carpathian Convention
 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
 Convention of Migratory Species (CMS)
  Minamata Convention
 Multilateral Fund Secretariat for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol (MFS)
 Rotterdam Convention
 Stockholm convention
 Tehran Convention
Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans Secretariats
 Caribbean Regional Coordinating Unit/ Cartagena Convention (CAR/RCU)
 Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) Secretariat
 Eastern African Regional Coordinating Unit/Nairobi Convention (EAF/RCU)
 Mediterranean Action Plan/Barcelona Convention (MAP/RCU)
 Northwest Pacific Action Plan/Regional Coordinating Unit (NOWPAP/RCU)
 West and Central Africa Regional Coordinating /Abidjan Convention (WACAF/RCU)
What we do?
Our mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing,
and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
Our work includes assessing global, regional and national environmental conditions and trends; developing
international and national environmental instruments; and strengthening institutions for the wise management of the
environment.
We categorize our work into seven broad thematic areas: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem
management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and environment under review. In
all of our work, we maintain our overarching commitment to sustainability.
We work closely with Member States as well as representatives from civil society, businesses, and other Major Groups
and Stakeholders. We are always looking for new ways to leverage partnerships to drive sustainable development.
Policies and Strategies
Our work is guided by a number of over-arching strategies, policies and guidelines. Access some of the most important
ones at the links below.
 Access to information
 Guidelines and policy documents
 Medium-term strategy
 Misconduct and anti-fraud strategy
 Operational policies
 Programme of work
 Sustainability
 UN Environment Strategy for Environmental Education and Training
Awards and Prizes
Champions of the Earth is the United Nations highest environmental honour. The award celebrates outstanding figures
from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a transformative, positive impact on
the environment.
Young Champions of the Earth is a forward-looking prize designed to breathe life into the ambitions of brilliant young
environmentalists. Each year, six winners – one from each of UN Environment’s global regions – receive $15,000 in
seed funding as well as intensive training and tailored mentoring.
UN Environment is a founding partner of the SEED Awards, which support innovative, small-scale and locally driven
entrepreneurs around the globe who integrate social and environmental benefits into their business models.
For more than 20 years, the UN Environment Sasakawa Prize recognized outstanding individuals and organizations for
their contributions to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development.
UN Environment Assembly
The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment. It
addresses the critical environmental challenges facing the world today. Understanding these challenges and preserving
and rehabilitating our environment is at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Environment Assembly meets biennially to set priorities for global environmental policies and develop
international environmental law. Through its resolutions and calls to action, the Assembly provides leadership and
catalyses intergovernmental action on the environment. Decision-making requires broad participation, which is why
the Assembly provides an opportunity for all peoples to help design solutions for our planet’s health.
The UN Environment Assembly has the universal membership of all 193 UN Member States and the full involvement
of UN organizations, specialized agencies, inter-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector.
In bringing together these varied communities, the Assembly provides a groundbreaking platform for leadership on
global environmental policy.
The Assembly is led by its President and a Bureau. They are elected by all Member States and represent Ministers of
Environment from around the world. The Assembly is prepared throughout the year by a Committee of Permanent
Representatives which is based in Nairobi.

The Earth Summit

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio de Janeiro
Earth Summit, the Rio Summit, the Rio Conference, and the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a
major United Nationsconference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992.
Earth Summit was created as a response for Member States to cooperate together internationally on development issues
after the Cold War. Due to conflict relating to sustainability being too big for individual member states to handle, Earth
Summit was held as a platform for other Member States to collaborate. Since the creation, many others in the field of
sustainability show a similar development to the issues discussed in these conferences, including non-governmental
organizations (NGOs).[1]

In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development was also held in Rio, and is also commonly
called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit 2012. It was held from 13 to 22 June.

The issues addressed included:

 systematic scrutiny of patterns of production — particularly the production of toxic components, such
as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
 alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels which delegates linked to global climate change
 new reliance on public transportation systems in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the
health problems caused by polluted air and smoke
 the growing usage and limited supply of water
An important achievement of the summit was an agreement on the Climate Change Convention which in turn led to
the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Another agreement was to "not to carry out any activities on the lands
of indigenous peoples that would cause environmental degradation or that would be culturally inappropriate".
The Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature at the Earth Summit, and made a start towards
redefinition of measures that did not inherently encourage destruction of natural ecoregions and so-called uneconomic
growth.
Although President George H.W. Bush signed the Earth Summit’s Convention on Climate, his EPA Administrator
William K. Reilly acknowledges that U.S. goals at the conference were difficult to negotiate and the agency’s
international results were mixed, including the U.S. failure to sign the proposed Convention on Biological Diversity.
Twelve cities were also honoured by the Local Government Honours Award for innovative local environmental
programs. These included Sudbury in Canada for its ambitious program to rehabilitate environmental damage from the
local mining industry, Austin in the United States for its green building strategy, and Kitakyūshū in Japan for
incorporating an international education and training component into its municipal pollution control program.
The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:

 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

 Agenda 21
 Forest Principles
Moreover, important legally binding agreements (Rio Convention) were opened for signature:

 Convention on Biological Diversity

 Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
 United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
In order to ensure compliance to the agreements at Rio (particularly the Rio Declaration on Environment and
Development and Agenda 21), delegates to the Earth Summit established the Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD). In 2013, the CSD was replaced by the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable
Development that meets every year as part of the ECOSOC meetings, and every fourth year as part of the General
Assembly meetings.
Critics point out that many of the agreements made in Rio have not been realized regarding such fundamental issues as
fighting poverty and cleaning up the environment.
Green Cross International was founded to build upon the work of the Summit.
The first edition of Water Quality Assessments, published by WHO/Chapman & Hall, was launched at the Rio Global
Forum.