United Nations Environment Programme. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an agency of the United Nations that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in the Gigiri neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices. Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy. It has played a significant role in developing international environmental conventions, promoting environmental science and information and illustrating the way those can be implemented in conjunction with policy, working on the development and implementation of policy with national governments, regional institutions in conjunction with environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Maurice Strong. Maurice F.
Strong, PC, CC, OM, FRSC (born April 29, 1929 in Oak Lake, Manitoba) is a Canadian entrepreneur and a former under-secretary general of the United Nations.[1] Strong's first name is pronounced "Mor'ris" with the accent on the first syllable.[2] Strong had his start as an entrepreneur in the Alberta oil patch and was president of Power Corporation of Canada until 1966.
In the early 1970s he was secretary general of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and then became the first executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. He returned to Canada to become chief executive officer of Petro-Canada from 1976 to 1978. He headed Ontario Hydro, one of North America's largest power utilities, was national president and chairman of the Extension Committee of the World Alliance of YMCAs, and headed American Water Development Incorporated. Mostafa Kamal Tolba. Dr.
Mostafa Kamal Tolba, "world renowned scientist and for 17 years Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has been an eloquent and tireless defender of the environment for most of his life. "Born in Egypt, a country whose economy depends on the waters of a river that flows through other states, made him aware of the link between environment and politics. He has always believed that common environmental interests should override political differences, even conflicts between nations. "In 1972, he led his country's delegation to the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment which gave rise to UNEP.
It is to his leadership that much of the credit for directing the environment to the forefront of global thinking and action is due.