UN Environment Programme. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
UNEP is a program created within the UN system that promotes coordination of environmental protection at the system-wide level. The program was established on the basis of UN General Assembly resolution 2997 of December 15, 1972. The main goal of UNEP is to organize and implement measures aimed at protecting and improving the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. UNEP is a program created within the UN system that promotes coordination of environmental protection at the system-wide level. The program was established on the basis of UN General Assembly resolution 2997 of December 15, 1972. The main goal of UNEP is to organize and implement measures aimed at protecting and improving the environment for the benefit of present and future generations.
UNEP's activities include various projects in the field of the Earth's atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. UNEP also plays a significant role in the development of international conventions in the field of ecology and environmental protection. UNEP often collaborates with states and non-governmental international organizations. UNEP also often sponsors and facilitates the implementation of environmentally related projects. UNEP's activities include various projects in the field of the Earth's atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. UNEP also plays a significant role in the development of international conventions in the field of ecology and environmental protection. UNEP often collaborates with states and non-governmental international organizations. UNEP also often sponsors and facilitates the implementation of environmentally related projects.
Structure UNEP's work is carried out in the following seven areas: Early warning and conflict assessment Early warning and conflict assessment Implementation of environmental policy Implementation of environmental policy Technology, production and economics Technology, production and economics Regional Cooperation Regional Cooperation Environmental law and Conventions Environmental law and Conventions Environmental protection at the global level Environmental protection at the global level Communications and Public Information Communications and Public Information
International Years of UNEP 2007 was declared the International Year of the Dolphin by the United Nations and the UN Environment Program. UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, in cooperation with its specialized dolphin conservation agreements ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS, and the Whale Conservation Society year - International Year of Natural Fibers (UN resolution) year - International Year of Biodiversity (UN resolution).
Reforming UNEP Following the publication of the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February 2007, the Paris Call to Action, read by French ex-President Jacques Chirac and supported by 46 other countries, called for UNEP to be replaced by a more effective organization with stronger oversight Environmental Organization United Nations (UNEO), which should be developed on the basis of the World Health Organization. Among the 46 supporting countries were countries of the European Union, but not the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and China, countries that emit the maximum amount of greenhouse gases. Following the publication of the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February 2007, the Paris Call to Action, read by French ex-President Jacques Chirac and supported by 46 other countries, called for UNEP to be replaced by a more effective organization with stronger oversight United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO), which should be developed on the basis of the World Health Organization. Among the 46 supporting countries were countries of the European Union, but not the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and China, countries that emit the maximum amount of greenhouse gases.
UNEP sponsors solar energy development programs by making significant discounts on their purchases, thereby significantly reducing the price for consumers and increasing the number of people willing to purchase these panels. The most famous example of such a project was India's solar panel loan program, which helped people. The success of this program led to similar projects in other developing countries Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico. Notable international projects
UNEP is also sponsoring a project to protect wetlands in the Middle East. In 2001, UNEP led a campaign to protect wetlands, releasing satellite photographs showing that 90 percent of wetlands had already been destroyed. The UNEP program “Support for Environmental Management in Wetlands of Iraq” was launched in 2004 with the goal of environmentally sound management of the wetlands.
Melting Glaciers Glaciers are melting at record rates and many could disappear in just a few decades, according to a March 16, 2008 UNEP statement. According to studies conducted on 30 different glaciers, it was found that the reduction of glaciers was maximum in 2006. Glaciers shrank an average of 4.9 feet in 2006, according to the latest information available. The most significant decrease was recorded at the Breidalblikkbrea glacier and amounted to 10.2 feet in 2006. Previously (from 1980 to 1999), glaciers were shrinking by an average of a foot per year, but since the turn of the new millennium, the decline has increased by an average of 20 inches per year. Glaciers are melting at record rates and many could disappear within just a few decades, according to a March 16, 2008 UNEP statement. According to studies conducted on 30 different glaciers, it was found that the reduction of glaciers was maximum in 2006. Glaciers shrank an average of 4.9 feet in 2006, according to the latest information available. The most significant decrease was recorded at the Breidalblikkbrea glacier and amounted to 10.2 feet in 2006. Previously (from 1980 to 1999), glaciers were shrinking by an average of a foot per year, but since the turn of the new millennium, the decline has increased by an average of 20 inches per year.
About the Billion Trees Company Under the motto “Planting for the benefit of the planet: the Billion Trees Company,” an appeal was posted on a special website created by UNEP, calling on everyone from individuals and associations, to corporations and entire countries to commit to planting trees. Offers of help and donations were carefully screened to avoid fraud. The campaign is the brainchild of Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner (2004) and founder of the Green Belt movement in Kenya, which has planted trees in twelve African countries since 1977. Professor Mutha emphasized the need for the campaign: Very often people talk a lot but do little. We don't chat, we work. Our goal is to make people understand how important it is to take to the streets and start planting trees. I have no doubt that we will succeed! Under the motto “Planting for the benefit of the planet: the Billion Trees Company”, an appeal was posted on a special website created by UNEP, calling on everyone from individuals and associations to corporations and entire countries to commit to planting trees. Offers of help and donations were carefully screened to avoid fraud. The campaign is the brainchild of Professor Wangari Maathai, Nobel Peace Prize winner (2004) and founder of the Green Belt movement in Kenya, which has planted trees in twelve African countries since 1977. Professor Mutha emphasized the need for the campaign: Very often people talk a lot but do little. We don't chat, we work. Our goal is to make people understand how important it is to take to the streets and start planting trees. I have no doubt that we will succeed!
UNEP(UN Environment Program) is a specialized agency of the UN system, created on the recommendation of the 1972 UN Stockholm Conference on the Environment. The main task of UNEP is to coordinate the efforts of states in the fight against pollution and degradation of the natural environment, desertification of lands, loss of soil fertility, and deterioration of water quality. Coordinates the Global Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS) program, which includes WMO, WHO, FAO, UNESCO. The headquarters is located in Nairobi (Kenya).
CUR(UN Commission on Sustainable Development) - created in 1992 at a conference in Rio de Janeiro. Participants 53 states.
ISAR(International Center for Operational Communication and Information on Environmental Issues) is a non-profit, non-political organization, an information center for non-profit public organizations in the former Soviet Union. Provides grants and scholarships to public environmental organizations in the former USSR. The headquarters is located in Washington.
Greenpeace(Green World) is an international non-governmental organization created in 1971 with the goal of preserving the Earth's natural environment from destruction. Main goals: attracting the general public to environmental issues. It is the most influential environmental movement.
IHL(International Hydrological Program) is one of the programs implemented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Studies water resources and hydrological processes on the planet. More than 130 countries participate in the program.
VSOP(World Conservation Strategy) is a program prepared by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) with the participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Approved at the 14th IUCN General Assembly in Ashgabat in 1978 and adopted in 1980 in many countries of the world, including the former USSR, the Strategy summarizes the experience of all countries in the field of nature conservation, formulates the main environmental problems of our time, recommends a system rational methods of managing biosphere resources.
VSP(World Weather Watch) is an international organization whose purpose is to coordinate the activities of all interested countries in the field of collecting and exchanging meteorological information. The WWW network includes three world centers - in Moscow, Washington and Melbourne, as well as several dozen regional meteorological centers. WWW is part of the World Meteorological Organization.
VHP(World Charter for Nature) - a set of program provisions adopted in 1982, reflecting the basic principles of the relationship of humanity with the natural environment and proposing measures for their implementation.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF- International) – an international public organization whose main goal is to ensure the protection of all biological resources of the Earth in ecosystems that maintain their existence under conditions of rational environmental management. The organization provides financial support in the form of grants for the protection of natural areas, environmental education and environmental research. The headquarters is located in Switzerland.
Program "Man and the Biosphere", MAB (ManandBiosphere) – UNESCO international research program adopted in 1970. Objectives: conducting interdisciplinary research, training specialists in the field of natural resource management. It is engaged in solving a number of environmental issues, formulated in the form of 14 subprograms-projects aimed at long-term research on the mutual influence of humans and ecosystems. About 110 countries are participating in the work. In accordance with this program, biosphere reserves are created in different countries of the world. The headquarters is located in Paris.
MZK (International Green Cross) – an international public association created in 1993 in accordance with the decision of the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. Main goals: environmental education and upbringing as the basis for sustainable development and changes in the value system, eliminating the consequences of the Cold War for the environment.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) – an intergovernmental scientific advisory organization created in 1948 at the initiative of UNESCO. The main goals of the activity are the conservation of natural resources and their rational use. It has six commissions on ecology, environmental awareness and education, rare species, national parks and protected areas, legislation, environmental strategies and planning. At the initiative of the IUCN, the Red and Green Books of rare and endangered species of plants and animals have been created and are constantly being republished. The headquarters is located in Switzerland.
The United Nations Environment Program - UNEP was created in 1972. Its purpose is to provide leadership and encourage partnerships in environmental stewardship by creating opportunities to improve the quality of life of nations and peoples without harming future generations.
As the main body of the United Nations in the field of the environment, UNEP develops a global environmental program, promotes the implementation of the environmental component of sustainable development within the UN system, and consistently advocates for the protection of the natural environment of the globe.
UNEP's governing body, the Governing Council, made up of representatives from 58 countries, meets annually.
The programs are financed by the Environment Fund, which is made up of voluntary contributions from governments, trust funds and small allocations from the regular budget of the United Nations.
UNEP AREAS OF COMPETENCE
· Managing the use of environmental information
· Early warning
· Environmental impact assessment
Geographic information systems
· Strategic assessment of the state of the environment
Mitigation Strategies
· Identifying emerging problems
· Strengthening institutional capacity
· Education and training on environmental issues
· Legal, economic and political documents
· Environmental legislation
· International environmental conventions, agreements and related processes
· Environmentally friendly technologies
Cleaner and safer production models
· Rational handling of chemicals
· Atmospheric impact mitigation
· Trade and environmental issues
· Consensus building
· Sustainable consumption
· Renewable energy sources and technologies for its production
· Integrating environmental issues into macroeconomic policies
· Sustainable tourism in vulnerable areas
· NGOs, civil society and major groups, including the private sector
· Public information
· Biological diversity
· Biosafety, biotechnology
· Sustainable use of biological resources
Application of genetic resources
· Coral reefs
· Marine mammals
· Integrated exploitation of fresh water resources
· Integrated coastal management
· Integrated management of coastal areas and river basins
· Ground sources of pollution
· Climate impact assessment
· Adaptation to climate change and its fluctuations
· Protection of the ozone layer
· Desertification assessment
· Best practices in environmental protection
· Environmental management tools for industry and local government
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UNEP PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES FOR 2010-2011
1. This section sets out the overall direction and strategy of the UNEP work program for the biennium 2010–2011. It also describes the proposed work programs of the six new subprogrammes established in accordance with the medium-term strategy, including their expected accomplishments and resource requirements.
2. Contemporary environmental challenges and opportunities have brought environmental issues, once on the periphery of intergovernmental and national governance processes, to the forefront of political and economic leadership. To provide the necessary environmental conditions for social prosperity, stability and justice, the United Nations system must respond to today's challenges in a way that matches their scale and the nature of the opportunities. UNEP, as the environment program of the United Nations, is mandated to play a leading role in identifying, promoting and supporting responses to these environmental challenges and opportunities.
3. The recent change of direction in a number of respects has affected the United Nations system itself. Important emphasis is again placed on the further evolution of international environmental governance, and in particular on improving the coherence of the United Nations system, ensuring coherence of assistance delivery within a new institutional architecture, placing greater emphasis on the role of the private sector, devolving primary responsibility for implementation to national authorities. development programs and manage based on results. The 2010-2011 Program of Work is a direct response to these external and internal changes and should be seen in the context of the ongoing reform process at the United Nations to make the United Nations system a more coherent and useful entity in today's environment, and in the context a new commitment to focus UNEP on achieving results. To this end, UNEP intends to significantly strengthen its program functions, in particular through the planned promotion of the Director of the Division of Communication and Public Information from D-1 to D-2, with additional responsibility for knowledge management and public relations development, and through the establishment of six new D-1 level positions in subprograms.
4. During the biennium 2010–2011, UNEP will continue to carry out the assessment and standard-setting functions entrusted to it by numerous Governing Council and General Assembly resolutions, and will effectively advocate and protect the interests of the global environment. In addition, this program will ensure that the provisions of the Bali Strategic Plan are fully integrated into all six sub-programs and implemented through these sub-programs. Annex III lists the General Assembly resolutions and Governing Council decisions that form the policy framework that enables UNEP, as the principal environmental body of the United Nations system, to respond to environmental challenges and opportunities.
5. Following the new program architecture, UNEP is preparing a new approach to assess its implementation, both at the subprogramme level and by individual expected accomplishments. Under the new approach, the assessment will attempt to examine a number of key issues and challenges highlighted in the medium-term strategy that will impact UNEP's ability to deliver on its 2010–2011 program of work. A budget of US$300,000 has been allocated to finance the evaluation, distributed equally among all subprograms. In the run-up to the biennium under review, UNEP will continue to refine its assessment approach.
General focus
6. Within the United Nations system, primary responsibility for activities related to the environment rests with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
7. The mandate of UNEP derives from General Assembly resolution 2997 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, by which the General Assembly established the UNEP Governing Council, the “Environment Secretariat” headed by the Executive Director of UNEP and the Environment Fund. The Governing Council later clarified the role and mandate of UNEP in the Nairobi Declaration on the Role and Mandate of UNEP (decision 19/1 of 7 February 1997, annex), which was subsequently approved by the Assembly in the annex to its resolution S/19-2 of 28 June 1997 . The General Assembly further specified the mandate of UNEP in its resolution 53/242 of 28 July 1999. The Governing Council, in its decision SS.VII/1 on international environmental governance of 15 February 2002, reaffirmed the need to strengthen UNEP and strengthen its scientific base and, inter alia, called upon UNEP to provide greater capacity-building and technical assistance support to developing countries and with transition economies, enhance coordination of multilateral environmental agreements and strengthen system-wide coordination and cooperation within the United Nations. The Assembly - most recently in its resolution 62/195 of 19 December 2007 - reaffirmed the role of UNEP as the principal United Nations entity in the field of the environment and recognized the need to accelerate the implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan for technical support and capacity-building, including by allocating additional financial resources for these purposes.
8. The Governing Council, in its decision 24/9, requested the preparation of a medium-term strategy for 2010–2013 with a clearly defined vision, goals, priorities, interventions and a robust framework for consideration by Governments. Based on scientific evidence, including the findings of the Global Environment Outlook: Environment for Development (GEO-4) report, and priorities identified during global and regional forums, six cross-sectoral thematic priority areas have been identified to form the basis a strategy that would provide general direction for the future work of UNEP and would more firmly focus the program on achieving concrete results. Following extensive consultations between the Executive Director and the Committee of Permanent Representatives to UNEP, the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum adopted decision SS.X/3 during its tenth special session in February 2008, in which it welcomed the medium-term strategy and requested the Executive Director to use it in the formulation of UNEP's biennial work programs for 2010–2011 and 2012–2013. The program of work for the period 2010-2011 is thus aligned with the medium-term strategy and aligns with its six thematic cross-sectoral priority areas, which form the basis of the six proposed subprogrammes.
9. In the light of experience, the program of work for the biennium 2010–2011 will, like previous programmes, be implemented within the existing divisions of UNEP, thereby ensuring coherence and mutual support in cross-cutting areas of specialization such as science, law, economics and communications . Given the many interlinkages and beneficial complementarities between the six thematic cross-sectoral priority areas, it was decided to adopt a matrix approach; and efforts will be made to extract spin-off benefits where appropriate. This approach is expected to strengthen results-based management and increase management ownership of program delivery and resource delivery, while ensuring that knowledge and experience accumulated in any one sector is shared across all subprogrammes.
10. The general political international context is of great importance for the work of UNEP. In this regard, the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation), other outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Islands provide clear guidance to the Program developing countries.
11. The world is experiencing unprecedented environmental changes, creating both challenges and opportunities. Increasing scientific evidence confirms that ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure and that this poses a serious threat to prospects for sustainable development. While these challenges may seem insurmountable, they in turn present opportunities for innovative development for local communities, entrepreneurs and international corporations. Creating environmental conditions conducive to prosperity, stability and equality will require responses that are timely and appropriate to the scale of environmental problems. Governments, the international community, the private sector, civil society and the general public will play important roles in their development. UNEP, as the environment program of the United Nations, will strive to fulfill its assigned role in developing, promoting and supporting appropriate responses to such environmental challenges and opportunities.
12. As part of the medium-term strategy, UNEP will focus on the following six cross-cutting thematic priority areas during the biennium 2010–2011: climate change, disasters and conflict, ecosystem management, environmental governance, hazardous substances and hazardous wastes, and resource management and sustainability of consumption and production. These six priority areas are discussed in more detail in paragraphs 62-67 below.
13. Consistent with its mandate and taking into account its comparative advantages, UNEP will pursue its distinctive environmental leadership role in the above cross-sectoral thematic priority areas, including stimulating and promoting international cooperation and action; early warning and policy advice based on proven scientific evidence; promoting the development, implementation and development of regulatory frameworks and standards and ensuring consistency and interconnection between international environmental conventions; provision of technical support and capacity-building services in accordance with country priorities. Paragraphs 68 to 70 below outline in more detail the key elements of UNEP's strategy for implementing the programme.
14. Climate change. As part of the United Nations approach to climate change, UNEP will complement other processes and activities of other agencies, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, in creating enabling environments at the national level to respond to climate change, in including by encouraging the creation of a national legislative, economic and institutional framework. In these activities, UNEP will emphasize the synergies between development and climate change strategies, as well as the co-benefits of climate change responses and their contribution to environmental sustainability. UNEP will help countries adapt to the impacts of climate change by reducing vulnerability and increasing the resilience of sectors that are a priority for the countries concerned. In addition, the Program will help mitigate climate change by supporting the transition to cleaner and renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, as well as addressing deforestation and land degradation. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
15. Disasters and conflicts. UNEP will establish national structures to minimize threats to human well-being from environmental factors and the impacts of current and potential natural and man-made disasters, and raise awareness of conflict-related environmental risks in the context of General Assembly resolution 58/209 by adopting an integrated approach from the following three main operational elements: vulnerability and risk reduction, emergency response and management, and systematic mainstreaming of environmental issues. Within these pillars, UNEP will focus on reducing environmental risks and vulnerabilities as a prerequisite for sustainable development and will ensure that environmental management needs are integrated into disaster management plans of relevant United Nations entities. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
16. Ecosystem management. UNEP will promote a cross-sectoral, integrated approach to ecosystem management to reverse the decline of ecosystem functions and strengthen the ability of ecosystems to withstand external pressures such as habitat degradation, the spread of alien species, climate change, pollution and overexploitation of natural resources. UNEP will continue to promote integrated approaches to the assessment and management of freshwater resources, terrestrial, coastal and marine systems. By promoting an integrated approach, UNEP will build on existing knowledge and integrated environmental assessments to better manage natural systems at different scales and across sectors by building technical and institutional capacity. UNEP will promote participatory governance and sustainable financing from payments or investments in ecosystem functions to influence drivers of ecosystem change that reverse ecosystem degradation and increase their resilience. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
17. Environmental management. In this area, UNEP will rely primarily on the provisions of Governing Council decision SS.VII/1 on international environmental governance. At the global level, the UNEP secretariat will assist the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum in leading international decision-making on environmental governance and setting the global environmental agenda. UNEP will continue to promote coherence and cooperation within the United Nations system on environmental issues, including through the submission of policy papers on environmental governance to the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination and other inter-agency forums, and through the full engagement of the Group on rational environmental management. UNEP will collaborate with and facilitate collaboration among the secretariats of international environmental agreements for the effective implementation of such agreements, and will partner with governing bodies and secretariats of other intergovernmental processes to develop mutually reinforcing relationships in environmental and related areas. UNEP will continue to promote international cooperation and action based on evidence-based evidence and support science-based policy decisions; stimulate international efforts to achieve internationally agreed goals by helping governments strengthen their policies, legislation and institutions; support regional and subregional processes at ministerial and other intergovernmental levels in the field of environmental protection; actively advocate for the involvement of interested non-governmental organizations and civil society in environmental governance at all levels. At the national level, UNEP will assist Governments in establishing, implementing and strengthening relevant processes, institutions, legislation, policies and programs to improve environmental governance and thereby achieve sustainable development, including by integrating environmental considerations into policy-making in other sectors and making full use of the capabilities of the United Nations Development Group. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
18. Harmful substances and hazardous waste. As part of broader United Nations efforts to reduce the environmental and health impacts of hazardous substances and hazardous wastes, UNEP will focus on strengthening strategic partnerships with all stakeholders to achieve chemical safety through a coherent, concept-based approach life cycle and objectives of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management, which was adopted in Dubai in February 2006, and in particular by helping to establish and develop internationally agreed regulatory regimes for various chemicals. UNEP will service the process based on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management and implement its environmental component. The program will assist countries in strengthening their capacity to manage chemicals and hazardous waste soundly. In addition, it will support initiatives regarding the use of selected chemicals of global concern, such as mercury, ozone depleting substances and other substances regulated under multilateral environmental agreements, and will address emerging issues related to chemicals and hazardous wastes. UNEP will continue to participate in initiatives such as the Partnership for Clean Fuels and Vehicles to reduce emissions. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
19. Efficient use of resources and sustainable consumption and production patterns. UNEP will promote public policy reforms, changes in private sector management practices and decisions, and increased consumer awareness to reduce resource depletion and environmental degradation through economic growth and development. UNEP will strengthen the scientific basis for policy decisions in the public and private sectors and advise governments and the private sector on strategies and actions to improve resource use and reduce pollution based on a product life cycle approach. The program will promote the use of clean technologies, integrated waste management and public-private partnerships to create products with cleaner life cycles and more sustainable value chains. In addition, UNEP will promote sustainable consumption and production among consumers to influence their choice of goods and services. UNEP will support a ten-year framework of programs on sustainable consumption and production patterns through the Marrakech Process and will work with its network of partners to monitor progress in this area and implement joint initiatives to improve the use of resources and promote sustainable consumption and production patterns. (see also UNEP Yearbook 2009)
20. The strategy for activities in this thematic priority area will be tailored to the mandate and comparative advantage of UNEP. Environmental monitoring and assessment, based on sound science, will continue to be the basis for achieving UNEP's goals in cross-sectoral thematic priority areas. This will enhance the role of science in setting priorities and making informed decisions. UNEP will inspire and promote environmental action and innovation by Governments, partner United Nations agencies and private sector and civil society actors, including academia and marginalized groups. The program will promote international cooperation and shared governance on environmental issues, including through the activities of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum globally and by supporting regional and subregional ministerial and other intergovernmental processes.
21. In addition, UNEP will continue to work to strengthen the role of national environmental institutions in development and economic planning and to promote the integration of environmental considerations into national sectoral policies, processes and development plans and programmes. UNEP will promote multi-stakeholder engagement so that governments, businesses and civil society work together to develop and better implement legislative and voluntary policies and economic incentives relevant to the environment and corporate practices. UNEP will work to increase access for developing countries and countries with economies in transition to sustainable, equitable financing for environmental activities from public and private sources, including through market mechanisms.
22. The implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan for technical support and capacity-building will be given greater impetus during the biennium under review. Capacity-building and technical support will cut across all cross-cutting thematic priority areas, thus serving as an integral part of all subprogrammes. Implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan at the national and regional levels will be coordinated through the UNEP regional offices. The program will build strategic relationships with partners from the United Nations system and, increasingly, civil society and the private sector, to expand its influence at the national and regional levels and stimulate action. UNEP will actively promote and develop South-South cooperation as a key mechanism for the implementation of the Bali Strategic Plan.
23. The program of work will be implemented within the institutional structure of UNEP, consisting of six existing divisions and a network of six regional offices, taking into account their areas of specialization, strategic presence and capacity to deliver activities at the regional level. The Division of Technology, Industry and Economics will lead the implementation of subprogramme 1, subprogramme 5 and subprogramme 6. The Division of Environmental Policy Implementation will lead subprogrammes 2 and 3. The Division of Environmental Law and Environmental Conventions will lead the implementation of subprogramme 4. The Division of Early Warning and Assessment will be responsible for scientific validity of all subprograms and have a chief scientific consultant on board. The Regional Coordination Division will be responsible for the coordinated implementation of all subprogrammes at the regional and country levels. The Communications and Public Information Division will be responsible for advocacy and publications for all subprogrammes.
24. UNEP will work to improve the delivery of this program through a range of processes and partnerships. It will collaborate with all stakeholders and partners, including civil society and private sector actors and bilateral aid agencies, drawing on their respective resources, knowledge, experience and comparative advantages. As appropriate, UNEP will participate in the preparation and implementation of common country programs and will work with and through the resident coordinator system, United Nations country teams and relevant inter-agency teams. It will seek to promote collaboration between UNEP regional offices, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) country offices and other centres. UNEP will seek greater participation in the United Nations Development Group and advance the theme of environmental sustainability in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework. UNEP will closely monitor the progress of United Nations reform and implement its decisions.
25. UNEP will continue to integrate gender equality and equity considerations into all its policies, programs and projects, with particular attention to the role of women in environmental policy-making, environmental governance, early warning and environmental disaster management. UNEP's commitment to pursuing gender equality and equity goals in its programs will be reflected in its interactions with partners and other agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations system.
26. As one of the implementing agencies of the Global Environment Facility, UNEP will continue to assist eligible countries in developing and implementing projects in the Facility's six core thematic areas, as recommended by the governing bodies of the multilateral environmental agreements for which the Global Environment Foundation. UNEP will focus on areas in which it has a comparative advantage, with particular attention to the needs of African countries, least developed countries and small island developing States. UNEP will continue to provide scientific and technical advice to the Fund on the implementation of its policies and programs and will continue to serve the Global Environment Facility's Scientific and Technical Advisory Group. In furtherance of UNEP's program of work, the Global Environment Facility Coordination Unit will undertake joint programming with other UNEP divisions
Proposed program budget
75. The budget for the UNEP work program for the biennium 2010–2011 totals $397.8 million; $7.8 million of this amount is expected to come from the United Nations regular budget, $156 million from the Environment Fund, $162 million from trust funds, and $66 million from in the form of targeted contributions.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is a UN agency tasked with assessing the state of the world's environment and identifying problems that require international cooperation.
Created on December 15, 1972. The organization's motto is “Environment for Development.” UNEP headquarters is located in Nairobi (Kenya).
The main governing body of UNEP is the Governing Council, which consists of representatives of 58 member states elected by the UN General Assembly for four years in accordance with the principle of equitable geographical representation. The Council holds regular sessions in odd-numbered years.
The UNEP Secretariat, headed by the Executive Director, acts as a mechanism for implementing decisions in the field of environmental protection. The head of UNEP is ex-officio Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a four-year term.
UNEP analyzes and assesses the state of the global environment for the purpose of early warning of emerging threats, develops policies and legal frameworks in the environmental field, provides support for the creation and effective functioning of national structures for environmental protection, coordinates the activities of environmental conventions, and promotes the transfer of environmentally friendly technologies. Particular attention is paid to the implementation of Agenda 21, approved at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), as well as the decisions of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002).
The lead agency for cooperation with UNEP is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus.
The main areas of cooperation between Belarus and UNEP: monitoring and assessment of the state of the environment; timely prevention of natural disasters and appropriate response to them; solving environmental problems based on the economic activities of a particular region; formation of national legislation in the environmental field; providing assistance in fulfilling obligations under environmental conventions, etc.
The Republic of Belarus is an active participant in UNEP projects, including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the Montreal Protocol on the Ozone Layer, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes, the Biosafety Protocol, the Convention on Biological Diversity, etc.
Belarus plans to continue to actively participate in both national and global UNEP programs.
In August 2014, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus was accredited to UNEP.