国际环境标准手册Chap8.pdfVIP

8 Programs of the United Nations CONTENTS Introduction United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) United Nations Environment Program The World Health Organization (WHO) INTRODUCTION The world offices of the United Nations (UN) include the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the United Nations Office at New York (headquarters). The UN is an international organization consisting of 126 countries that was formed to promote international peace, security, and cooper- ation. This was to be done under a charter signed in San Francisco in 1945 with the intent of coordinating activities of member states. Although not officially a legislative body, the UN has adopted declarations of law much like a legislature. The UN consists of political bodies and agencies or “organs” that carry out its work, including the initiation, negotiation, and adoption of multilateral and intergovernmental treaties. Member states maintain the right to participate in the treaty-making process. Decisions by the UN are made through voting by the member states. In addition to dealing with problems relating to health, food, education, and human rights, the UN addresses pollution and environmental issues. As a result of the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environ- ment, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was created by the UN General Assembly, Resolution 2997 (XXVII). For the first time, an agency of the UN had a specific environmental agenda. Their mission “Facilitate international cooperation in the environmental field; to keep the world environmental situ- ation under review so that problems of international significance receive appropriate consideration by Governments; and to promote the acquisition, assessment and exchange of environmental knowledge.” United Nations, Everyone’s United Nations 168