The United Nations Environment Programme - UNEP was created in 1972 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. His main areas of work include: climate change, biodiversity, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, its  headquartered is in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Chemicals Division of the Regional Office for Europe in Geneva UNEP, is in charge of the  Executive Secretariat of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions; as well as the Interim Secretariat of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The UNEP and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) serve as the Rotterdam Convention Secretariat, wich are based in Geneva and Rome. All these conventions are the international framework of the environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals.