The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 1972, decided to establish the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP officially began operations in January 1973. Its principal functions include promoting international cooperation in the field of the environment; monitoring the state of the global environment; collecting and disseminating environmental information; raising global environmental awareness and action; promoting coordination among environment-related activities within the United Nations system; and leading the development of international environmental law. As United Nations’ leading global authority on the environment, UNEP has, since its establishment, undertaken extensive work in areas including environmental education, environmental management, environmental information and technology, environmental law and policy, and international environmental conventions.

  United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the governing body of UNEP.The headquarters of UNEP is located in Nairobi, Kenya. The Executive Director is the highest administrative authority of UNEP and serves a four-year term. The current Executive Director is Ms. Inger Andersen (a Danish national), who was nominated by the United Nations Secretary-General and formally appointed by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly in February 2019. She was reappointed in 2023. UNEP has one Deputy Executive Director, a position currently held by Ms. Elizabeth Mrema ( a Tanzanian national).

  The main divisions and offices within UNEP include:

  I.Divisions

  1. Communication Division develops and disseminates UNEP’s core messages. It delivers them to governments and citizens, stakeholders and partners, including the media, through the full range of digital and traditional channels. The division advocates for environmental causes, engages the public including young people。

  2.Corporate Services Division safeguards UNEP’s corporate interests by providing it with tools and plans for efficient and effective management and by managing its exposure to risk. It does so in line with the core values of the United Nations as well as all other relevant rules, regulations and accountability requirements.

  3.Industry and Economy Division provides solutions for economic decision-makers and helps change the business environment by offering platforms for dialogue and cooperation, innovative policy options, pilot projects and creative market mechanisms. It works through two main branches: Chemicals and Health and Resources and Markets.

  4.Ecosystems Division supports countries in conserving, restoring and sustainably managing their terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, the biodiversity they contain and the products and services they provide for human well-being and prosperity. It addresses the environmental causes and consequences of disasters and conflicts. It helps countries reduce pollution from land-based activities and reflect linkages between poverty and the environment in their development planning.

  5. Law Division is the lead Division charged with carrying out the functions of UNEP in the field of environmental law, governance and related policy issues. The Division’s work focuses on: leading the international community in the progressive development of environmental law; supporting States in the development and implementation of legal, institutional and policy measures in response to major environmental challenges; facilitating cooperation and coordination among multilateral environmental agreements and between UNEP and those agreements; working with MEA secretariats to support Parties to the respective MEAs in implementing their treaty obligations; and facilitating policy dialogue among States on issues relating to international environmental law and governance.

  6.Policy and Programme Division consolidates the policy, programme, monitoring, gender and social safeguards functions of UNEP as well as its engagement with the United Nations system and key global processes such as the 2030 Agenda. The Division ensures coherence and coordination at the strategic, policy and programmatic levels.

  7.Climate Change Division supports coherent action on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage; assists Member States in responding to climate-related emergencies, and ensures that climate action is effectively overseen and maintains strategic direction.

  II. Offices

  1.Office of the Chief Digital Officer accelerates and scales environmental sustainability by applying data and digital technologies to UNEP’s key activities, products, and services. It ensures governance and coherence among UNEP’s digital outputs and collaborates with key players to promote the use of digital solutions for environmental benefit while mitigating potential negative effects of digitalization. The office strives to create a greener and more sustainable future through innovative digital approaches.

  2.Chief Scientist Office provides leadership and strategic coordination of the science that informs UNEP’s priorities and all aspects of the work programme, particularly in the context of strengthening UNEP’s capacity for Strategic Foresight and the Science-Policy Interface to inform decision-making. It also supports effective communication and collaboration between UNEP and the scientific community, as well as global environmental observing systems.

  3.Governance Affairs Office assists Member States, major groups and relevant stakeholders, such as the private sector, to engage with UNEP’s work. The Office services UNEP’s governing body, the United Nations Environment Assembly, and its subsidiary organ, the Committee of Permanent Representatives, and manages their meetings.