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Programs of the United Nations

CONTENTS

Introduction
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
United Nations Environment Program
The World Health Organization (WHO)

INTRODUCTION

The world offices of the United Nations (UN) include the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
and the United Nations Office at New York (headquarters). The UN is an international organization
consisting of 126 countries that was formed to promote international peace, security, and cooper-
ation. This was to be done under a charter signed in San Francisco in 1945 with the intent of
coordinating activities of member states. Although not officially a legislative body, the UN has
adopted declarations of law much like a legislature. The UN consists of political bodies and agencies
or “organs” that carry out its work, including the initiation, negotiation, and adoption of multilateral
and intergovernmental treaties. Member states maintain the right to participate in the treaty-making
process. Decisions by the UN are made through voting by the member states. In addition to dealing
with problems relating to health, food, education, and human rights, the UN addresses pollution
and environmental issues. As a result of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environ-
ment, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was created by the UN General Assembly,
Resolution 2997 (XXVII). For the first time, an agency of the UN had a specific environmental
agenda. Their mission

“Facilitate international cooperation in the environmental field; to keep the world environmental situ-
ation under review so that problems of international significance receive appropriate consideration by
Governments; and to promote the acquisition, assessment and exchange of environmental knowledge.”

United Nations, Everyone’s United Nations 168, 1978

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT AND
DEVELOPMENT (UNCED)

I

NTRODUCTION

UNCED originated from the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment that
met in Stockholm, Sweden. This conference was the first major, modern, international gathering
on human activities relating to the environment. The conference produced the Stockholm Decla-
ration, which is a set of principles “…to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation
and enhancement of the human environment.” Chapter 4 contains the entire text of the declaration.

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UNCED C

OLLECTION

The UNCED collection is a set of documents produced by the United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (Earth Summit). Documents from the preconference activities are
also included. UNCED was held June 3 through 14, 1992, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Delegations
from 178 countries, heads of state of more than 100 countries, and representatives of more than
1,000 nongovernmental organizations attended. Four preparatory committees (“prepcoms”) met in
the two years prior to UNCED and produced the texts of major UNCED agreements. The UNCED
collection includes

• Draft versions of the agreements
• Reports by experts
• Materials from the negotiating process.
• 100 national environmental reports submitted to UNCED
• Speeches of national leaders at the conference

UNCED major agreements

1. Agenda 21—40-chapter statement of goals and potential programs related to sustainable

development

2. The Rio Declaration - principles on sustainable development
3. The Biodiversity Treaty - a binding international agreement aimed at strengthening

national control and preservation of biological resources

4. The Statement of Forest Principles - a nonbinding agreement on development, preser-

vation, and management of the Earth’s remaining forests

5. The Framework Convention on Climate Change - a binding international agreement

relating to global warming that seeks to limit or reduce emissions of greenhouse gases,
mainly carbon dioxide and methane. This convention was negotiated prior to Rio but,
as planned, was opened for signature at the conference.

A CD-ROM that includes all official documents and a complete collection of national reports is
available from the UN. The final UNCED documents in English, French, and Spanish are available
through a gopher server at the UN.

A

GENDA

21

Introduction

Follow-up on official UN implementation of Agenda 21 and the non-binding UNCED agreements
has formally been assigned to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
(UNCSD), an institution organized as a result of UNCED.

Agenda 21 Contents

Chapter 1 Preamble

Section I. Social and Economic Dimensions

Chapter 2 International Cooperation for Sustainable Development
Chapter 3 Combating Poverty
Chapter 4 Changing Consumption Patterns
Chapter 5 Demographic Dynamics & Sustainability
Chapter 6 Human Health

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Chapter 7 Human Settlements
Chapter 8 Decision Making

Section II. Conservation and Management of Resources for Development

Chapter 9 Protection of the Atmosphere
Chapter 10 Land Resources
Chapter 11 Deforestation
Chapter 12 Desertification & Drought
Chapter 13 Sustainable Mountain Development
Chapter 14 Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development
Chapter 15 Conservation of Biodiversity
Chapter 16 Biotechnology
Chapter 17 Protection of the Oceans
Chapter 18 Freshwater Resources
Chapter 19 Toxic Chemicals - Management
Chapter 20 Hazardous Wastes - Management
Chapter 21 Solid Wastes–Management
Chapter 22 Radioactive Wastes - Management

Section III. Strengthening the Role of Major Groups

Chapter 23 Preamble Major Groups
Chapter 24 Women
Chapter 25 Children & Youth
Chapter 26 Indigenous People
Chapter 27 Non-Governmental Organizations
Chapter 28 Local Authorities
Chapter 29 Trade Unions
Chapter 30 Business & Industry
Chapter 31 Scientific & Technological Community
Chapter 32 Role of Farmers

Section IV. Means of Implementation

Chapter 33 Financial Resources
Chapter 34 Technology Transfer
Chapter 35 Science for Sustainable Development
Chapter 36 Education, Public Awareness & Training
Chapter 37 Capacity Building in Developing Countries
Chapter 38 International Institutions
Chapter 39 International Legal Instruments
Chapter 40 Information for Decision-Making

UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM

UNEP uses a variety of instruments to address environmental issues including promotion of
international and intergovernmental treaties, sponsorship of conferences designed to facilitate
negotiation, guidelines or “soft law”, technical support information exchange, and environmental
monitoring systems. In the 1981Conclusions and Recommendations of Montevideo, the UNEP
Governing Council determined that eleven areas required action:

1. Coastal zone management
2. Environmental impact assessment

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3. General development of environmental law
4. International cooperation in environmental emergencies
5. International trade in potentially harmful chemicals
6. Legal and administrative mechanisms for the prevention and redress of pollution damage
7. Marine pollution from land-based sources
8. Protection of rivers and other inland waters against pollution
9. Protection of the stratospheric ozone layer
10. Transboundary air pollution
11. Transport, handling and disposal of toxic and dangerous waste

The UNEP procedures recognize that action must be taken at the global, regional, and national

level. For its part, UNEP initiates and promotes international agreements some of which they also
serve as secretariat. Also, UNEP assists member states in developing national legislation by
providing legislative frameworks from other countries and environmental data and information
from around the world. Information is collected and disseminated through the following databases
and satellite monitoring systems:

• Global Environmental Monitoring System
• Infoterra Information System
• International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals

Where to find more information

The United Nations Scholars’ Workstation is available on-line and contains a wide variety of

research information on such topics as disarmament, economic and social development, environ-
ment, human rights, international relations, international trade, peacekeeping, and population and
demography. The workstation was developed by the Yale University Library and the Social Science
Statistical Laboratory. Yale University maintains the Yale Center for International and Area Studies,
which is supported by the workstation. The Library of the United Nations Office at Geneva is
available to students, researchers, diplomats, journalists, UN, staff, and scholars. Some UNOG
Library information is available on the internet along with some helpful links (see list of internet
sites).

List of Geneva-Based UN Agencies

• Economic Commission for Europe
• International Computing Center
• International Labor Organization
• International Telecommunications Union
• International Trade Center UNCTAD/WTO
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
• United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
• United Nation Institute for Training and Research
• United Nations Research Institute for Social Development
• World Health Organization
• World Intellectual Property Organization
• World Meteorological Organization

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P

ROGRAMS

OF

THE

U

NITED

N

ATIONS

• Centre on Transnational Corporations
• Agenda for the 21st Century
• Environment Program (UNEP)
• International Program on Chemical Safety (with ILO and WHO)
• INFOTERRA (a system to exchange environmental information)
• Environmentally Sound Management of Inland Water (UNEP)
• Global Environment Monitoring System UNEP, Earthwatch Programme
• International Tropical Timber Agreement (UNEP)
• Regional Seas Programme (UNEP)
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNEP, WHO)
• Cairo Guidelines and Principles for the Environmentally Sound Management of Haz-

ardous Wastes (adopted by UNEP)

• Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes

and Their Disposal (1989)

• Environmental Perspective for the Year 2000 and Beyond (UNEP)
• UN Development Programme

UNEP E

NVIRONMENTAL

G

UIDELINES

• Environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes (1987)
• Exchange of information on chemicals in international trade (1989)
• Goals and principles of environmental impact assessment (1987)
• Offshore mining and drilling, especially for oil (1982)
• Pollution of the marine environment from land-based sources (1985)
• Shared natural resources (1978)
• Weather modification (1980)

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)

R

EGIONAL

AND

O

THER

O

FFICES

• Regional Office for Africa
• Regional Office for the Americas/Pan American Health Organization
• Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
• Regional Office for Europe
• Regional Office for Southeast Asia
• Regional Office for the Western Pacific

I

NTERNATIONAL

A

GENCY

FOR

R

ESEARCH

ON

C

ANCER

(IARC)

• Office for the Organization of African Unity
• Center for Health Development in Kobe
• Office at the European Union
• Officed at the United Nations
• Liaison Office in Washington
• Office for the United Nations System in Vienna
• Onchocerciasis Control Program

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C

ONVENTIONS

FOR

WHICH

UNEP P

ROVIDES

S

ECRETARIAT

• Basel Convention on Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
• Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
• Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
• Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer
• Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement Operation Directed at Legal Trade in

Wild Fauna and Flora

• Regional Seas Conventions
• Barcelona Convention (Mediterranean Action Plan)

S

OURCES

OF

A

DDITIONAL

I

NFORMATION

The Rio Declaration, Volume I
UNCED Report, Volume I
UNCED Report, Volume II
Forest Principles, Volume III
UNCED Report, Volume III
A Guide to UNCED: Process and Documentation, Shanna Halpern, 1992
Thematic Guide to Political Institutions and Global Environmental Change, Consortium for

International Earth Science Information Networks (CIESIN)

Register of International Treaties and Other Agreements in the Field of the Environment, United

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

World Treaties for the Protection of the Environment (1992), Instituto per L’Ambiente of Milan,

Italy

International Environmental Law, Emerging Trends and Implications for Transnational Cor-

porations, United Nations Environment Series, 1993 (out of print)

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD):

[e-mail]

Lowell Flanders
Department for Policy Coordination & Sustainable Development
1 United Nations Plaza, Room DC1-868
New York, NY 10017, U.S.
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone] or 1-212-963-0377

The Interim Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Climate Change

16 Ave Jean Trembley, CH-1209
Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
e-mail:

[e-mail]

Gopher directory at

gopher.undp.org

REFERENCES

Environmental Change and International Law, edited by Edith Brown Weiss, United Nations University Press,

1992.

International Environmental Law and Policy, David Hunter, James Salzman, Durwood Zaelke, Foundation

Press, 1998.

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International Environmental Auditing, David D. Nelson, Government Institutes, 1998.
Precautionary Legal Duties and Principles of Modern International Environmental Law, Harold Hohmann,

Graham & Trotman/Martinus Nijhoff, 1998.

Environmental Strategies Handbook, A Guide to Effective Policies & Practices, Rao V. Kolluru, McGraw-

Hill, Inc. 1994.

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