About the Partnership

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the “Voice of the Environment“ in the UN. The organization was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Kenya, Nairobi. To ensure its global effectiveness UNEP supports six regional offices in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Carribbean, North America and West Asia.

Achim Steiner (l.) became UNEP Executive Director in 2006.

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Achim Steiner (l.) became UNEP Executive Director in 2006.

UNEP’s mission is "to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations".

The objectives include keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention for action, developing international environmental conventions and assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies. One important aspect of the work is supporting the environmental commitment of children and youth. In 2003, UNEP initiated the TUNZA Youth Strategy that is meant to develop activities in the areas of capacity building and to create a global youth network.

In encouraging people to care for the environment and advocating sustainable development, UNEP cooperates with a variety of partners, including other UN institutions, international organizations, governments, the private sector and civil society.