United Nations Environment Programme

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is in charge of the United Nations environmental activities, helping developing countries in making environmentally sound policies and encouraging sustainable development through sound environmental practices. It began as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices and other country offices.
UNEP has helped to develop guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways.
The World Meteorological Organization and the UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF).