- Establishment: UNEP was established on 5th June 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly during the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Mandate: UNEP’s primary goal is to promote international cooperation on environmental issues, address environmental challenges, and encourage sustainable development globally.
- Headquarters: UNEP’s headquarters is located in Nairobi, Kenya.
- Role and Functions: UNEP plays a pivotal role in coordinating environmental activities, fostering environmental policy-making, and promoting sustainable practices. It acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator, and facilitator to address various environmental concerns.
- Universal Membership: UNEP has a universal membership of all UN member states, which allows it to address global environmental issues collectively.
- Global Environmental Agreements: UNEP is instrumental in facilitating negotiations and implementing various global environmental agreements and conventions, such as the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
- Annual Events: UNEP organises World Environment Day (WED) on 5th June every year to raise awareness about environmental issues and encourage worldwide action.
- Collaboration with Other Organisations: UNEP collaborates with various international organisations, governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to implement environmental programs and projects.
- Reports and Assessments: UNEP publishes reports like the Global Environment Outlook (GEO) to provide comprehensive assessments of the state of the environment and emerging issues.
- Funding: UNEP relies on voluntary contributions from member states, organisations, and donors to finance its programs and activities.
- Green Economy Initiative: UNEP promotes the transition to a green economy, which aims to improve human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): UNEP actively supports the achievement of the 17 SDGs, especially those directly related to environmental sustainability, such as climate action, life below water, life on land, and responsible consumption and production.