About UNEP-Infoterra

INFOTERRA is the global environmental information exchange network of the United Nations Environment Programme. The network operates through a system of government-designated national focal points which at present number 177. An INFOTERRA national focal point is essentially a national environmental information centre usually located in the ministry or agency responsible for environmental protection. The primary function of each centre is to provide a national environmental information service. 

INFOTERRA received its mandate at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment which recommended the establishment of a mechanism for the exchange of environmental information and experiences among countries. In response to this recommendation, UNEP established the INFOTERRA network (initially known as IRS - International Referral System) and governments were requested to designate a national focal point to coordinate INFOTERRA
activities at the country level. The 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) reiterated the importance of information for decision-making and requested the strengthening of the INFOTERRA network to improve information availability (Agenda 21, Chapter 40). 

At the national level, INFOTERRA focal points provide a wide range of environmental information products and services including environmental bibliographies; directories of sources of information; query-response services; environmental awareness leaflets; and access to Internet services. 

The INFOTERRA secretariat at UNEP headquarters, Nairobi, supports the national focal points by providing technical services and publishing reference tools such as the EnVoc Multilingual Thesaurus of Environmental Terms;the International Directory of Sources; training manuals; sourcebooks; and promotional materials. A capacity building programme provides assistance to focal points in developing countries. 

Anyone looking for information on the environment is welcome to contact the INFOTERRA network through one or more of the following channels: 

1.UNEP World Wide Web (WWW) site (http://www.unep.org) 
2.INFOTERRA list server (instructions on list of addresses for all 176 national focal points is
available from the INFOTERRA secretariat or may be downloaded from our Website); and 
3.INFOTERRA Secretariat (address given below). 

INFOTERRA will respond with substantive information from local or international sources of environmental information