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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