United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Mission: 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 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by the UN General Assembly on 15 December 1972. UNEP is the main UN environmental body enabling cooperation of countries and international organizations towards addressing global, regional and national concerns in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development. The Programme makes a particular effort to nurture partnerships with other UN bodies possessing complementary skills and delivery capabilities, and enhancing the participation of civil society in the achievement of sustainable development.
UNEP Headquarters is located in Nairobi (Kenya). The Governing Council of UNEP is composed of 58 members elected by the UN General Assembly for four-year terms. Mr. Achim Steiner is the Executive Director of UNEP since June 2006.
UNEP main goals include analysis and assessment of global environment, early warning of environmental threats, elaboration of international environmental legislation for sustainable development, raising public awareness on international environmental policy and activities, rendering assistance on policy development and consultative services to governmental and non-governmental organizations.
The Russian Federation has traditionally taken active part in UNEP activities based on expedience and feasibility of harnessing the Organization’s potential to address Russia’s environmental priorities.
Taking into account a big role of Russia as a partner in international environmental cooperation, UNEP opened its office in Moscow in 2000. The key goals of UNEP Moscow Office include developing policy dialogue with the Russian Federation authorities responsible for elaboration and conduct of national and international environmental policy; facilitating promotion of UNEP programmes and assisting Russian Federation in developing and implementing projects, including under the framework of the Global Environment Facility, developing cooperation with state, scientific and non-governmental organizations and business.
Cooperation of UNEP and its Moscow Office with Russian partners is based on Memorandum of Understanding in the field of cooperation within Global Environment Facility signed in September 2003 and Programme of Cooperation between UNEP and the Government of the Russian Federation for 2005-2007 signed in November 2005.
The above-mentioned documents cover several cooperation areas which are of top priority for Russia: protection and management of water resources, regional seas environmental protection, preventing pollution of Arctic environment, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) management, conservation of biodiversity, climate change awareness, etc.
Presently cooperation in the mentioned areas is implemented through projects among which are: Russian Federation: Support to the National Programme of Action for the Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment, Russian Federation - An Integrated Ecosystem Management Approach to Conserve Biodiversity and Minimize Habitat Fragmentation in Three Selected Model Areas in the Russian Arctic (ECORA), Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, Building the Capacity of the Russian Federation to Implement the Stockholm Convention on POPs and develop a National Implementation Plan, development of a wetland network, combating desertification through sustainable management of land resources, etc.
Great importance is attributed to cooperation with the State Duma on developing national environmental legislation. Projects on legal support of the Volga basin sustainable development, environmentally sustainable transport, drafting proposals on the Water Code elaboration and on energy resources development in line with the Kyoto Protocol implementation have been implemented jointly with the State Duma Committee on Ecology.
UNEP and the Russian Federation intend to further intensify efforts towards addressing global, regional and national issues both on bilateral basis and with participation of other international organizations, financial institutions and Russian partners concerned.
Detailed information on UNEP and GEF/UNEP activities, including in European region is available also on web-sites www.unep.org, www.unep.ch and http://dgef.unep.org.
Our contacts:
MoscowLeontyevsky Lane, 9, 125009
Tel.: +7 (495) 787-2156
Fax: +7 (495) 787-7763
E-mail: gudyma.unep@undp.ru