Skip to Main Content
UN Library logo
Research Guides

UN Documentation: Environment

Introduction

A young girl carries her pine seedling. To commemorate International Environment Day (annually 5 June) hundreds of Haitian students take part in a massive tree-planting campaign at a pine forest, one of Haiti’s last, four hours drive from Port-au-Prince. The once-great forest has been depleted for charcoal production and to make room for farm land. 17 June 2011. Haiti.

The UN Charter does not specifically mention the environment or sustainable development. However, there has been increased activity in the area over the years.

Both the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council consider environmental questions. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) is the lead programme in this area and the Commission on Sustainable Development is a key forum for UN Member States to discuss questions related to the environment.

In 2014, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), the successor of the UNEP Governing Council, began to meet.