United Nations Environment Programme

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.

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.

UNEP Headquarters is located in Nairobi (Kenya). Inger Andersen is the Executive Director of UNEP.

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.

In March 2012 the UN General Assembly has approved the establishment of the UN Environment Assembly as part of efforts to support the strengthening and upgrade of the Nairobi- based UN Environment Program (UNEP). The move reflects the full and future participation of all UN member states in the UNEP's governing body.

In Belarus the responsible agency for cooperation with UNEP is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus.

The main directions of cooperation between Belarus and UNEP are as follows: environmental monitoring and assessment; timely prevention of natural disasters and appropriate response, solution of environmental problems in accordance with the economic activities of a specific region, development of national legislation in the environmental field, assistance in fulfilling the commitments of environmental conventions, etc.

The Republic of Belarus is an active member of UNEP projects, including the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Montreal Protocol on Ozone Layer, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, Convention on Biological Diversity, etc.

Belarus plans to continue to participate actively in both national and global programs of UNEP.

Since 2021, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to the Republic of Kenya, Pavel Vziatkin, is the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to UNEP.