with environmental cognisance echoing across the world, the United Nations Environment Programme (unep) has come under fire for not delivering its desired objectives. Founded 25 years ago to act as the world's environmental watchdog, critics believe that it has run adrift without an imaginative leadership and also suffers from lack of funds.
Said Eileen Claussen, us assistant secretary of state for international environmental affairs, "I cannot think of a time when there was a greater need for an international organisation dealing with the environment. But I am not sure that we have one that fits the bill." Remarked John Gummer, uk's environment secretary, "unep ought to be a trailblazer on the environment, yet it is confused and its messages are not clear."With donors displaying their dissatisfaction with unep, the Nairobi-based organization, has been steadily stripped of its funds. For instance, us halved its unep contribution this year from $16 million to $8 million. The present executive director, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, a former Canadian environment official, completes her four-year term in December and is under pressure not to seek an extension. Brazil has proposed the name of Enrique Cavalcanti, who was the chairperson of the un Commission for Sustainable Development, to head unep.
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