What is UNEP? Decryption

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Many are interested in what UNEP is (we will present the transcript below) and in what area such an abbreviation is used. UNEP, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, was developed and adopted for implementation in 1972 under the auspices of "pundits" from the UK, the Russian Federation, Italy, France and other countries. Apparently it was at this moment that the need for such a project arose. UNEP transcript in Russian - United Nations (UN) Environment Program. Only this way and nothing else.

What is the purpose of the program?

Program purpose:

• Assess the state of the world's environment.
• Identify pressing environmental issues.
• Encourage partnerships and collaborations to take the utmost care of the environment that surrounds us all on planet Earth.
• To contribute to the creation of various opportunities for the qualitative improvement of the living standards of peoples and states without any damage to future generations.
• To carry out the overall direction of UNEP (Russian translation is given above).

Specific activities implemented by UNEP

Being at the head of the UN in the fieldenvironmental sustainability, UNEP is implementing the following activities:

• Develops and promotes a global environmental program.
• Predicts the early occurrence of conflicts, their assessment and ways out.
• Dealing with issues of production, economics and technology.
• Strongly, constantly and resolutely speaks out from high tribunes in defense of nature.
• Promotes conservation action through various methods (within the UN system).

Fosters a global environmental reference service that prioritizes monitoring the he alth of our environment

History

The organizational structure and functions of UNEP were approved by the members of the General Assembly and enshrined in resolution number 2997 (XXVII) of 1972-15-12. 20 years later, namely in 1992, in connection with certain problems of a global scale, the scope of the UN Program was significantly expanded (Chapter 38, paragraphs 21, 22 and 23).

Organizational structure

At the head of UNEP (deciphering the abbreviation, the history of creation - read above) is the Executive Director, who is also the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN. The appointment of the head is approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations for a period of 4 years

• The Governing Council, which includesrepresentatives of 58 states. Members are elected for a term of 4 years.
• The main role of the Council is not only to disseminate the ideas of partnership and cooperation (in the field of environmental protection) in the UN member countries worldwide, but also to determine the fundamental directions of UNEP activities.
• The Program Secretariat, which is responsible for the practical implementation of the overall policy and programs of UNEP, includes 890 people. In addition, the responsibility of the Secretariat is charged with the distribution of a considerable budget (over 100 million US dollars), consisting of contributions from supporting UNEP (decoding in English - United Nations Environment Program) states.

Established quotas for election to the Council

Distribution of seats in the Council occurs solely on a geographical basis:

• 30 seats reserved for Asian countries;
• 16 - for employees from African countries;
• 10 - for representatives from Latin America;
• 6 seats reserved for staff from Eastern European countries;
• 13 - for envoys from Western Europe and other countries.

Based on the above, we can safely say that the distribution of seats on the UNEP Council (explanation in English is presented above) is a clear proof of the growing influence of developing countries on UN policy (in the field of the environment).

International Years of the UN and UNEP (as part of it)

What is the international year of the UN and UNEP, howcomponent? The fact is that every year at the UN General Assembly the theme of the next international year is approved.

Note! It is not necessary that the theme of the next international year should reflect the issue of the environment around us. Any issue that worries the world community can be approved as the motto for the next year.

In the history of UNEP (we hope you already remember the transcript) there are not so many such international years:

• 1998 is the year of the ocean.
• 2002 - Ecotourism.
• 2002 - the year of the mountains.
• 2003 - fresh water.

• 2006 - deserts and desertification.
• 2007 is the year of the dolphin.
• 2007 - polar year.
• 2008 is the year of planet Earth.
• 2008 - potatoes.
• 2008 is the year of sanitation.
• 2009 - natural fibers.
• 2010 is the year of biodiversity.
• 2011 - forests.

• 2013 is the year of water cooperation.
• 2014 - crystallography.
• 2014 is the year of family farming.
• 2015 - light and lighting technology.
• 2015 - soil.
• 2016 is the year of pulses.

Year of the Dolphin

Sea mammals such as dolphins are on the verge of extinction, as they need the clear waters of the oceans to live comfortably. And with this, there are certain difficulties on planet Earth. But it is dolphins, of which there are about 40 species, that are the litmus test,defining the ecosystem in the world's oceans: if this mammal is doing well, then other living organisms will be doing well. So the year 2007 was declared by the UN and UNEP (there is no need to repeat the decoding of the abbreviation) as the International Year of the Dolphin.

What was done?

To commemorate the year of the dolphin were held:

• Educational activities to increase people's interest in this issue.
• Involving key decision makers in the program.
• Issuance of printed materials telling about these inhabitants of the seas and oceans.
• Involvement in the program of children, as well as public and other organizations that can disseminate information about the plight of dolphins, such as UNEP (see transcript above).

Who patronized?

On September 17, 2006, the official opening ceremony of the International Year of the Dolphin was held, patronized by none other than Prince Albert II of Monaco. In his speech, he expressed concern about the plight of marine mammals and the hope for their salvation by common forces. Many athletes (particularly swimmers), sailors and writers have expressed their support for the protection and conservation of the wildlife of the seas and oceans. The UN did not stand aside either: it is known that it was UNEP (probably it is not worth recalling the transcript) from the high tribunes "loudly" informed about this problem.

UN Year of Biodiversity

UN, trying as much as possibleto draw attention to the problems of conservation and rational use of the natural resources of the planet Earth, declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity. In addition, the purpose of such a decision was a great desire to combine all available efforts in order to preserve especially valuable objects of the world ecosystem.

What is biodiversity:

• this is, first of all, a variety of genes and their variants;
• many different species in ecosystems;
• all kinds of ecosystems themselves.

Reasons to conserve biodiversity

There are three main reasons:

• Economic. The components of biodiversity are resources of undoubted benefit not only today, but also tomorrow.
• Scientific. Biodiversity is helping to expand the search for new drugs and treatments.
• Ethical. Mankind, being part of the ecosystem as a whole, must take care of the biosphere.

Glacier melting

In the spring of 2008, UNEP sounded the alarm about the fact of the rapid melting of glaciers, which may completely disappear after a few decades. Serious surveys and studies of these "glacial monsters" were carried out. As a result, they came to disappointing results, that in 2006 there was the most massive disappearance (the reduction was about 5 feet per year). The melting process is under close attention not only from UNEP, but also from the whole concerned public.

How can the problem be solved?

• Continue to select plants that can effectively absorb carbon dioxide.
• Search for alternative energy sources (tidal power plants, wind turbines and solar panels) that do not need to burn carbon raw materials.
• Install protective mirrors in the orbit of our planet and place shutters throughout the territory of the glaciers.
• Use human thermal energy for space heating.
• Improve the technical characteristics of cars.
• Control businesses to prevent hazardous and toxic emissions.
• Constantly call on every inhabitant of the planet Earth to make a small (but maybe very significant) contribution to the common cause of preserving glaciers and to abandon the rather frequent use of: aerosols (they, according to scientists, contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer) and cars whose emissions are not the best way to affect the environment.

Advice! Use your bike more often when going outside.

Green areas near houses

In closing

Now you know what UNEP is (deciphering is also not difficult), and you can understand what tremendous work is being carried out within the framework of this Program, which is an integral part of the UN.