UNEP
As more than 1 million species are at risk of extinction, UNEP works with its partners to protect all forms of life.
Bolstering the governance of the natural world
Nature underpins our societies and economies. But to continue to do so, it must be governed in ways that allow everyone, everywhere to benefit from its bounty. This is a key focus of UNEP’s work.
In 2025, the organization supported 70 nations to develop national biodiversity strategies and align them with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an agreement to protect the natural world. The work is considered crucial to making good on the promise of the framework, which, among other goals and targets, aims to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030.
By the numbers 148 The number of countries in which UNEP supported efforts to conserve, restore and sustainably manage ecosystems.
UNEP also provided technical and financial assistance to 112 countries as they prepared their national reports to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The reports spell out how nations are countering drought, desertification and land degradation, which affect 3 billion people worldwide.
Another focus was improving governance of the ocean, which is under mounting pressure from climate change, over-fishing and pollution. UNEP worked with dozens of countries to speed up the ratification of the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The landmark agreement, which in 2025 gained enough ratifications to officially enter into force in early 2026, will for the first time extend protection to biodiversity in the high seas. Among other things, UNEP is providing technical support to 29 countries as they align their laws with the treaty and prepare for its implementation.
The organization also provided technical input to the G20 on marine spatial planning, coastal restoration and pollution reduction, helping to promote sustainability. The G20 accounts for around 45 per cent of the world’s coastlines and 85 per cent of global GDP, underscoring the potential global reach of these policy discussions. At the same time, UNEP provided technical and financial support to the African Union as it developed a continent-wide strategy for governing ocean and coastal waters. The result of 10 years of consultations, the strategy focuses on protecting the region’s marine ecosystems while creating sustainable economic opportunities.