Environment

The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm was the first world conference to make the environment a major issue. The participants adopted a series of principles for sound management of the environment that placed environmental issues at the forefront of international concerns. 

Since then, the entire UN system continues to be engaged in environmental protection in diverse ways. The lead agency in this area is the United Nations Environment Fund (UNEP) which assesses the state of the world’s environment, identifies issues requiring international cooperation and integrates environmental considerations into the social and economic policies and programmes of the UN system. The fund also helps formulate international law such as the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, to mention a few. Additionally, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) is the largest funder of projects to improve the global environment and helps developing countries finance projects that protect the global environment and promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities.