ABSTRACT
Described in this chapter are international agencies’ roles in developing and administering environmental health programs, in particular, three programs of the United Nations (UN), as well as the roles of two non-UN organizations, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. The three UN agencies are the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO). In particular, described in some detail are global environment summits convened by UNEP, including a description of the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002. In addition, one regional organization, the European Union (EU), is discussed in terms of its environmental health activities. In particular, described are the mission and work of the EU’s European Environment Agency, European Chemical Agency, and the European Food Authority. The chapter concludes with the World Economic Forum’s ranking of global environmental status. Finland, Norway, Sweden, Canada, and Switzerland were the top-ranked countries.
