EPA and the
United Nations
Environment Program
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was
created in 1972 following the UN Conference on the
Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. UNEP
works within the UN family and with governmental and
private organizations throughout the world coordinating
global efforts to protect the environment. Its headquar-
ters operation is located in Nairobi, Kenya.
EPA, the Department of State, and other federal
agencies are represented on UNEP's Governing Coun-
cil, which meets annually to set policy for the Program.
EPA's representative to the 1978 and 1979 meetings of
the Governing Council was Deputy Administrator Bar-
bara Blum.
EPA contributes to several of UNEP's programs:
Earthwatch is UNEP's global environmental assess-
ment program. It has three components:
• The Global Environmental Monitoring Service
(GEMS) is the environmental monitoring component of
Earthwatch. GEMS assists UN specialized agencies—
the World Health Organization, the World Meteorologi-
cal Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organi-
zation—in initiating or establishing, with member coun-
tries, monitoring programs in areas such as climate,
long range transport of pollutants, health, terrestrial
renewable resources, and ocean phenomena. UNEP
will use GEMS data to identify trends and changes in
the global environment caused by human action.
Currently, EPA participates in GEMS projects on air
and water pollution conducted by WHO and WMO.
• Infoterra is a worldwide referral service connecting
users of environmental information with sources of
assistance. The service operates through a network of
national, regional, and international organizations
which serve as Focal Points. Since 1975, EPA has
operated the United States National Focal Point for
Infoterra in its headquarters in Washington. It has pro-
duced a national directory of sources of environmental
information, and refers questions on environmental
problems from both American and foreign sources to
experts in various fields.
• The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemi-
cals (IRPTC) is designed to facilitate sharing of data on
toxic chemicals, and, eventually, to provide an early
alert system to pass warnings about potential dangers
of particular substances. The design of IRPTC calls for a
Central Unit to process data on selected chemicals, an
international register of existing data banks throughout
the world, and a network of National Correspondents to
form communications linkages to UNEP and among
member countries.
In 1978, EPA was designated U.S. National Cor-
respondent. In this role, the Agency maintains an inven-
tory of U.S. chemical registers, notifies IRPTC of major
accidents involving chemicals, informs IRPTC of U.S.
legislation and regulations on control of chemicals, and,
to a limited extent, responds to inquiries from other
countries when asked to by the IRPTC office.
Coordinating Committee on the Ozone Layer. At a
1977 conference in Washington, UNEP embarked on a
major review of available knowledge to determine
whether there is scientific evidence of depletion of
stratospheric ozone. The meeting adopted a compre-
hensive "World Plan of Action on the Ozone Layer" and
formed the Coordinating Committee on the Ozone
Layer to implement that plan. EPA participates in an-
nual meetings of the Committee.
The Industry and Environment Program surveys en-
vironmental problems associated with industrialization
and produces assessment guidelines that nations can
use for environmentally sound industrial development.
The approach to date has focused mainly on pollution
control in major industries: aluminum, pulp and paper,
motor vehicles, agriculture, petroleum, iron and steel,
and chemicals. EPA experts have participated in
seminars in each of these areas, contributing signifi-
cantly to the technical and policy review reports issued
for each sector. EPA has also contributed materials and
advice to an Industry and Environment Program project
developing guidelines for industrial siting, with methods
for assessing the environmental impact of industrial
development.
SEPA
United Slates
Environmental Ptotectton
Agency
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