Over the past centuries, humanity has made an unprecedented technological leap. Technologies have emerged that can significantly change the world. If earlier human influence on nature could not upset the fragile ecological balance, then new ingenious inventions allowed him to achieve this unfortunate result. As a result, many species of animals were destroyed, many living creatures are on the verge of extinction, and large-scale climate changes begin on Earth.

The results of human activity cause such monstrous damage to the environment that more and more people are beginning to worry about the future of our planet. As a result of the growing concern, numerous public conservation organizations have emerged. Today they operate everywhere, monitor the preservation of the unique natural heritage, uniting millions of enthusiasts around the globe. But this was not always the case; the pioneers of the environmental movement traveled a long way to achieve the current state of affairs.

The Birth of Nature Conservation Organizations

The beginning of the creation of the international environmental community can be considered in 1913, when the first International Conference on nature conservation was held in Switzerland. 18 countries took part in it, but the meeting was of a purely scientific nature, not implying any action. Ten years later, the first International Congress on the Protection of Nature takes place in Paris. Then the International Bureau for the Protection of Nature opened in Belgium. However, it did not try to somehow influence the environmental situation in the world, but simply collected statistical data on nature reserves and environmental legislation.

Then, in 1945, it was created which took environmental cooperation between states to a whole new level. In 1948, a special branch was created at the UN - the International Council for the Defense of Nature. It was he who was responsible for international partnerships in environmental protection. Scientists suddenly began to understand that it was impossible to solve environmental problems at the level of one country, because an ecosystem is a delicate mechanism full of non-obvious, intricate relationships. A change in the natural balance in one place on the planet can have a catastrophic effect on other, seemingly very distant places. The need to jointly solve environmental problems has become obvious.

Further development

Subsequently, the international one became one of the most important topics for discussion at major scientific and cultural events. In 1972, Sweden hosted the UN Conference on the Environment, in which 113 countries took part. It was at this event that the foundations of the modern nature conservation movement were laid. This day has become an international holiday - World Environment Day.

Then came years of stagnation in the environmental movement, when public environmental organizations began to receive less and less funding, and the popularity of their ideas began to wane. But in the early 1980s, the situation began to change for the better, resulting in the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Brazil. This event took place in Rio de Janeiro and continued the work begun in Sweden. At the conference, basic concepts were adopted that touch on the topic of the further harmonious development of humanity. The model of sustainable development considered in Rio offers a completely new perspective on the further development of human civilization. It involves controlled development within certain limits so as not to harm the environment. The conference in Brazil outlined the activities of environmental organizations up to the present day.

Our days

Today, society is greatly alarmed by changes in the environment caused by human activity. Many countries have passed a number of laws to control it, and organizations such as Greenpeace or the World Wildlife Fund have gained millions of supporters around the world. Almost every more or less large country has representative offices of international environmental organizations. Online communities and thematic sites allow you to get quick and convenient access to information related to ecology. The Internet also makes it possible to coordinate the efforts of people all over the planet - here everyone can make a contribution to protecting the environment.

Science also does not stand still; new inventions are constantly appearing, bringing the era of environmentally friendly energy closer. Many countries have begun to actively use natural energy: wind, water, geothermal, solar, etc. Of course, man-made emissions have not decreased, and corporations are still mercilessly exploiting nature for profit. But the general interest in the environmental problem allows us to hope for a bright future. Let's look at the largest public environmental organizations.

"Greenpeace"

The Greenpeace organization is by far the most popular environmental company on Earth. It appeared thanks to enthusiasts opposing uncontrolled nuclear weapons testing. The first members of Greenpeace, who were also its founders, managed to get the Americans to stop nuclear testing in the area of ​​Amchitka Island. Further protests led to France also stopping nuclear weapons testing, and other countries later joined in.

Despite the fact that Greenpeace was created to protest against nuclear testing, its activities are not limited to this. Members of the organization are holding protests around the world to protect our planet from suicidal and stupid human activities. Thus, Greenpeace activists were able to stop the cruel hunt for whales, which was carried out on an industrial scale back in the last century.

Modern protests of this unusual organization are aimed at combating air pollution. Despite the fact that the harm that emissions from factories and factories cause to the atmosphere has been proven, corporations and their unscrupulous owners do not care deeply about all life on this planet, they only care about profit. Therefore, Greenpeace activists are holding their actions to stop the barbaric attitude towards the environment. Sadly, it is likely that their protests will never be heard.

World Wildlife Fund

There are a wide variety of conservation organizations. The list of non-governmental organizations would be incomplete without mentioning the World Wildlife Fund. This organization operates in more than 40 countries around the world. In terms of the number of supporters, the Wildlife Foundation is even ahead of Greenpeace. Millions of people support their ideas, many of them fight for the preservation of all forms of life on earth, not only in word, but also in deed; more than 1000 environmental projects around the world are excellent proof of this.

Like many other public conservation organizations, the World Wildlife Fund has its primary mission on Earth. Members of this environmental organization are trying to protect animals from the harmful influence of humans.

UN Environment Program

Of course, public and state environmental protection organizations are headed by the United Nations. It is this that is of the most large-scale nature. Almost every UN meeting addresses issues of the environment and international cooperation in improving the environmental situation on the planet. The branch dealing with environmental issues is called UNEP. Its tasks include monitoring pollution of the atmosphere and the world's oceans and preserving species diversity.

This system of environmental protection does its job not only in words; many important international laws designed to protect the environment were adopted precisely thanks to the UN. UNEP was able to achieve more thorough monitoring of the transport of hazardous substances, and a commission was created that monitors and tries to stop this scourge.

Russian nature conservation organizations

Some international environmental movements have been described above. Now let's look at what organizations are involved in nature conservation in Russia. Despite the fact that the popularity of domestic environmental organizations is significantly lower than that of their international colleagues, these societies still fulfill their function and attract new enthusiasts.

The All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation is a large and influential organization dealing with environmental problems in the Russian Federation. It performs many different tasks, one of the main ones is promoting knowledge about ecology to the masses, educating people, and drawing attention to environmental problems. VOOP is also engaged in scientific activities and monitors compliance with environmental legislation.

The All-Russian Society for Nature Conservation was created back in 1924. The fact that this organization was able to survive to this day, while increasing its number to three million people, shows the genuine interest of people in the environmental problem. There are other Russian associations of environmentalists, but VOOP is by far the largest all-Russian environmental organization.

Nature Conservation Team

The Nature Conservation Team was created in 1960 and continues its work to this day. Moreover, some of the major Russian universities joined this organization and created their own squads. Today, DOP is engaged in the same activities as other environmental organizations in Russia. They carry out explanatory work, trying to increase the education of citizens in the environmental sphere. In addition, the nature conservation team organizes protests against the destruction of wild places in Russia, helps in the fight against forest fires and makes its contribution to science.

The future of environmental organizations

There are a wide variety of environmental organizations, a list of some of their non-governmental representatives is as follows:

1. World Wildlife Fund.
2. "Greenpeace".
3. United Nations Program (UNEP).
4. World Society for the Protection of Animals.
5. Global Nest.

The number of such associations is growing every year, they are gaining more and more popularity. This is not surprising, since the consequences of barbaric expansion carried out by man are becoming more and more noticeable. Scientists and public figures, like most people on Earth, have long realized that something needs to be changed before we turn our planet into a lifeless dump. Of course, today the opinions of people are not significant in any of the existing states, which allows industrial magnates to continue their dirty business, taking advantage of impunity and their own short-sightedness.

However, there is still hope for a bright future. With the advent of the Internet, non-governmental environmental organizations have the opportunity to conduct their educational activities with millions of people. Now everyone who is concerned about the environment can communicate with like-minded people and get any necessary information about the environment; it has become much easier to unite supporters and coordinate protests. Of course, most people are still victims of years of propaganda that paint the green movement in an unsavory light. However, the situation can change at any second, because environmental organizations have become a force to be reckoned with.

What can be done to protect nature?

Loud speeches about protecting the environment and preserving species diversity can excite the minds of young enthusiasts. But, unfortunately, this is all that words can do; real benefit to nature can only be brought by actions. Of course, you can find out which organizations are involved in environmental protection in your city and plunge headlong into their useful activities. This path is not suitable for everyone, so it is best to start saving nature by stopping destroying and polluting it with your own hands.

Everyone has at least once seen beautiful forest clearings littered with piles of garbage after someone’s stormy vacation. So, before you start nature, you first need to stop harming it. How can you encourage others to care about the environment if you yourself pollute the environment? Garbage collected after a vacation, a fire extinguished in time, trees that you did not kill for firewood - all this is very simple, but brings wonderful results.

If everyone remembers that the Earth is our home, and the fate of all humanity depends on its condition, then the world will be transformed. For those who want to take a more active role in protecting the environment, numerous Russian nature conservation organizations are ready to provide such an opportunity. The era of change has come, today it is decided what we will leave to our descendants - a radioactive landfill or a beautiful green garden. The choice is ours!

UN Environment Program, or UNEP(English) UNEP, U nited N ations E environment P rogramme), is a program created within the UN system that promotes coordination of nature conservation at the system-wide level. The program was established on the basis of UN General Assembly resolution No. 2997 of December 15, 1972 (A/RES/2997(XXVII)). 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. The motto of the Program is “Environment for Development”.

UNEP's headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six major regional offices and offices in various countries. UNEP is responsible for resolving all environmental issues at the global and regional levels.

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 also include the development of recommendations and international treaties on issues such as potentially hazardous chemicals, transboundary air pollution and pollution of international shipping channels.

Under the auspices of UNEP, World Environment Day is celebrated annually.

Structure

Until 2012, the UNEP Governing Council consisted of 58 states elected for a four-year term. Seats on the Council are distributed geographically. The role of the Governing Council is to set guidelines for the various UN environmental programs and to promote cooperation on environmental issues among UN member states. The UNEP Secretariat consists of 890 staff, approximately 500 of whom are contracted from other countries. The Secretariat oversees the implementation of various UNEP policies and programs. The Secretariat is also involved in the distribution of the budget, the size of which reaches almost 105 million US dollars and virtually consists entirely of contributions from UNEP member states.

UNEP's work is carried out in the following seven areas:

• Early warning and conflict assessment
• Implementation of environmental policy
• Technology, production and economics
• Regional cooperation
• Environmental law and conventions
• Global environmental protection
• Communications and public information

Executive Director

The current Executive Director of UNEP is Achim Steiner, who succeeded the previous Director, Klaus Toepfer, in 2006. Dr. Toepfer served as Director for two consecutive terms, beginning in February 1998. On March 15, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Achim Steiner, former Director-General of the World Conservation Union, to the post of Executive Director of UNEP. A day later, the UN General Assembly approved Annan's proposal and appointed Steiner to the post of Director General. The appointment was controversial due to a conflict of interest after it was revealed that Steiner was the chief judge on the jury that awarded Ananna the $500,000 prize. The London newspaper said the appointment "raised new questions about the standards that should be applied to senior UN officials to avoid conflicts of interest." The position of General Director for 17 consecutive years (from 1975 to 1992) was held by Dr. Mostafa Kamal Tolba, who managed to bring ecology and environmental protection issues to the public table and achieve success in this area. Under this director, UNEP achieved its greatest success by concluding the Montreal Protocol in 1987, aimed at protecting the ozone layer. In December 1972, the UN General Assembly voted unanimously to appoint Maurice Strong as head of UNEP. He also served as Secretary General of the 1972 UN Conference on the Environment, which launched the international environmental movement, and at the 1992 Earth Summit. Strong has great influence in many areas of ecology aimed at developing a global environmental movement.

UNEP International Years

• 2009 - International Year of Natural Fibers (UN resolution 61/189).
• 2010 - International Year of Biodiversity (UN resolution 61/203).

Reports

UNEP publishes a large number of reports, reports and newsletters. For example, the fourth Global Environment Initiative (GEI-4) is a good example of a report on ecology, development and human well-being and provides analysis and information for policymakers and the general public. One of the main ideas of GEI-4 is to warn humanity that it is “living beyond its means.” The report notes that humanity is so large that the amount of resources needed to survive exceeds the amount available. The ecological imperative (or the amount of land needed to provide food for one person) is 21.9 hectares, while the Earth's biological capacity averages 15.7 hectares per person.

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, which was supported by 46 other countries, called for the replacement of UNEP with a more effective organization with stronger oversight United Nations Environmental Organization (UNEO), which should be developed on the basis of the World Health Organization. The 46 supporting countries included countries in the European Union, but did not include the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and China, the top greenhouse gas emitters.

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

In 1972, at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, a recommendation was adopted to create UNEP, and at the 21st session of the General Assembly, the UN Environment Program was established by resolution 2997. 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 of humanity.

The program was created within the UN system as a whole and is aimed at coordination in the field of environmental protection at the system-wide level. The main objectives of UNEP are to promote international cooperation in the field of the environment and develop relevant recommendations; overall management of environmental policy within the UN system; development and discussion of periodic reports; promoting the progressive development of international environmental law and a number of others.

Organizationally, UNEP consists of a Governing Council, a Secretariat, an Environmental Coordination Council and the voluntary UNEP Foundation.

The coordinating role of international law in environmental protection

In modern conditions, it is natural and inevitable to strengthen the coordinating role of international law in the overall process of legal regulation of environmental protection. This is explained by the threat of large-scale transboundary damage to national environmental systems arising from many modern activities of states. The strengthening of the coordinating role of international law in relation to national law in the field of environmental protection also follows from the developing situation of general environmental danger, when the scale of damage to the environment indicates a tendency towards disruption of the entire planetary environmental system, towards unpredictable changes in the entire social and economic life of mankind. There is a need to develop and adopt universal mandatory norms of behavior for states. This would make it possible to implement the task of implementing a global strategy for environmental protection and rational use of natural resources, justified by the UN General Assembly, UNEP and the World Commission on Environment and Development. based on the concept of sustainable and environmentally friendly long-term development.

The concept of sustainable development was put forward by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 1980 in a document called the “World Conservation Strategy”. The meaning of the concept is that it is more economically profitable to prevent possible damage than to spend money on eliminating its consequences. In 1986, at the International Conference on Conservation and Development in Ottawa, a set of principles was developed to ensure sustainable development. In 1987, a report from the World Commission on Environment and Development, chaired by Gro Harlem Brundtland, warned that changes in people's business activities and lifestyles were necessary or the world would face dramatic environmental degradation. The commission said the economy must meet people's needs, but its growth must be within the limits of the planet's economic capabilities.

New opportunities and prospects for international cooperation in the field of environmental protection are opening up along the way of materializing the results of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992). Russia has become a party to the UN framework global conventions on climate change and biological diversity.

The main task of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is to regulate the use of the global resource, which is the atmosphere, by controlling on an equal basis global emissions of gases of anthropogenic origin.

The ultimate goal of the Convention is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic intrusion into the climate system.

The Biodiversity Convention emphasizes that the conservation of biodiversity is a common goal of humanity, and states, having sovereign rights over their biological resources, are responsible for the conservation of their biodiversity and the sustainable use of biological resources. The objectives of the Convention are the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, including through appropriate access and transfer of technology, taking into account all rights to resources and technologies.

The signing of the above-mentioned conventions by representatives of 154 states serves as another real practical step towards achieving global consensus on the most pressing problems in the field of environmental protection.

One of the documents adopted by the Conference is the Statement of Principles for Global Consensus on the Management, Conservation and Sustainable Development of All Types of Forests. For the first time, it reflects a national consensus on the use and conservation of all types of forests, regardless of their geographical location, whereas previously the focus was on tropical forests.

The conference adopted policy documents: the Rio Declaration (27 principles aimed at promoting the governance of economic activity and environmental behavior towards achieving global sustainable development) and Agenda 21 (a strategy for global environmental cooperation in the light of combining environmental objectives with sustainable environmental development). These documents reflect the concept of a “global partnership,” which implies the need to take into account the specific conditions and needs of countries with economies in transition, to which Russia was included by the Conference. The same status was granted to the former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries.

According to the decision of the Conference, a new structure was formed at the UN - the Commission on Sustainable Development, in the formation of which Russia was involved from the very beginning.

The conference became the forum after which the concepts of environmental protection and socio-economic development can no longer be considered in isolation.

(Reference)

11-10-2011

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is an organ of the United Nations General Assembly established in accordance with resolution 2997 of 15 December 1977 and the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Conference (1972, Stockholm, Sweden). UNEP headquarters is located in Nairobi (Kenya).

The main governing body of UNEP is the Governing Council (GC), which consists of 58 member states elected by the UN GA for a four-year period in accordance with the principle of geographical representation (16 from African countries, 13 from Asian countries, 6 from Eastern European countries) countries, 10 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 13 from Western European and other countries). The Russian Federation is traditionally elected to the UNEP Management Board (current membership until December 31, 2013).

Before the introduction of the practice of holding MC sessions, the High-Level Committee of Ministers and Officials (HLC) acted as the inter-seasonal body of UNEP. At the 21st session of the UNEP Management Committee (February 2001, Nairobi, Kenya), a decision was made to terminate its activities (UNEP/HLC/5/3). In February 2011, the regular 26th session of the UNEP/Global Ministerial Environmental Forum GC (UNEP/GMEF GC-26) was held in Nairobi (Kenya).

Since 2000, in even-numbered years, special sessions of the UNEP/GMEF MC have also been held on a regular basis. The 11th special session of the UNEP/GMEF GC was held in February 2010 on the island of Bali (Indonesia).

In accordance with Rule 62 of the UNEP GC Procedure, there is a Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR), consisting of permanent representatives of UNEP member states accredited in Nairobi and operating between sessions of the GC. During the calendar year, in addition to participating in working groups, the CPT holds four quarterly meetings.

UNEP acts as the key structure of the UN system for coordinating the efforts of the international community in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources. The main activities of UNEP are: analysis and assessment of the state of the global environment for the purpose of early warning of emerging environmental threats, development of international cooperation to combat environmental pollution, further improvement of the environmental legal framework, coordination of environmental activities within the UN system, assistance in the development and adoption coordinated measures to solve environmental problems, providing assistance in the creation and effective functioning of national structures for environmental protection, etc.

The UNEP Secretariat, headed by the Executive Director, who is the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and is appointed by the UN General Assembly on his recommendation for a four-year term, acts as a mechanism for implementing decisions in the field of environmental protection and coordinating environmental activities within the UN system. Currently, the Executive Director of UNEP is A. Steiner (Germany), who was again re-elected to this post for a four-year term from June 15, 2010.

There are currently six UNEP regional offices: for Europe (Geneva), for Africa (Nairobi), for North America (Washington), for Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok), for Latin America and the Caribbean (Panama) and Western Asia ( Manama). UNEP has its representative offices for relations with the EU in Brussels (Belgium), UN headquarters in New York (USA), and the League of Arab States in Cairo (Egypt). In 2003, the UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific was established in Beijing (PRC). Since 2000, the UNEP Regional Office for Europe has been operating in Moscow (Russia).

Under the auspices of UNEP, there are such large environmental programs as the Global Environmental Monitoring System (WCMC), the Global Resources Data System (GRID), the International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC), and the UNEP Energy and Environment Support Center ( UCCEE), Global System of Environmental Information (GRI), etc.

The Regional Seas Program operates within the framework of UNEP, aimed at protecting the marine environment and the environmentally safe use of marine resources. The 13 conventions and action plans operating within its framework cover more than 140 countries and extend to many regions of Africa, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, the Northwest Pacific, etc. UNEP took an active part in the preparations for the signing of the Framework Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea, which is considered one of the most successful initiatives implemented under the auspices of UNEP.

UNEP has supported government consensus in the formation of a number of international environmental agreements, such as the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Approval Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Basel Convention on the Control of Hazardous Wastes and their removal, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, etc. UNEP continues to assist in the activities of the conventions on biodiversity, desertification and climate change. Currently, with UNEP playing a key role, work is underway to create an international financing mechanism for hazardous chemicals and waste management, as well as to develop a global, legally binding agreement to control mercury.

Funding for UNEP comes from four main sources: the Environmental Fund, which consists of voluntary contributions from states and is used to provide budgetary support for program activities; targeted contributions, incl. to environmental convention trust funds; targeted additional contributions used for specific projects, and transfers from the UN regular budget used mainly for administrative needs.

At the 25th session of the UNEP Management Board, the UNEP Program of Work and Budget for the biennium 2010-11 was adopted. in the amount of 180 million dollars. Starting from 2010, the Russian voluntary annual contribution to the UNEP Environmental Fund, in accordance with the decision of the Russian Government, was increased from 500 thousand to 900 thousand US dollars.

The Russian Federation (formerly the USSR) has been actively interacting with UNEP since joining it in 1976. The lead agency for cooperation with this UN Program is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation, which acts in its relations with UNEP in coordination with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The highest priority areas of UNEP interaction with Russia at this stage are monitoring and assessment of the state of the environment; facilitating the development and coordinating the implementation of policies and programs for the rational use of natural resources; adaptation of international experience to solve national environmental problems; promoting the creation of favorable economic conditions to attract investment in the environmental sector; expansion and development of cooperation in environmental education, etc.

Particular attention in the course of joint project activities is given to intensifying cooperation in priority areas for Russia: implementation of the Regional Seas Program (Arctic region, Caspian and Black Seas, North-West Pacific region - NOUPAP), protection of the mountain ecosystem of the Caucasus region, environmental support construction of sports facilities for the Winter Olympics Sochi 2014.

In addition, within the framework of our bilateral cooperation, such areas of our interaction are successfully developing as joint actions to protect the Arctic marine environment, to respond to the harmful effects of persistent toxic substances on the health of indigenous peoples of the Russian Far North, to monitor the impact of climate change on large Siberian rivers , to mobilize financing for projects to create energy-efficient and renewable energy sources in the context of climate change, create conditions in Russia for the implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and the development of a national plan for its implementation, strengthening the network of training centers for the management of environmental zones, etc.