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Glossary |
Following is a selection of frequently used terms, acronyms, and initials used in international environmental affairs.
A useful multilingual glossary of environmental terms is on the Web site of the European Environment Agency. The Environmental Terminology Discovery Service is at http://glossary.eea.europa.eu
Agenda 21: Program of action adopted by the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development Agroforestry: An ecologically based natural resource management system in which trees are integrated in farmland and rangeland ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations CGIAR: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research CI: Conservation International CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (UNEP) Commonwealth: An association of the United Kingdom and other sovereign countries that are former British territories or protectorates (see Commonwealth Secretariat, listed in Part 3) Convention: a formal agreement among governments CSD: Commission on Sustainable Development (UN) Development: In an international context, refers to improving the economic and social conditions of poorer countries; see also Sustainable development ECA: Economic Commission for Africa (UN) ECE: Economic Commission for Europe (UN) ESCAP: Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN) ESCWA: Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN) EU: European Union FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United GIS: geographic information system Habitat: United Nations Centre for Human Settlements IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency (UN) ICSU: International Council for Science IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural
Development IIED: International Institute for Environment
and ILO: International Labour Organization (UN) IMO: International Maritime Organization (UN) INTECOL: International Association for Ecology IOC: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission IUBS: International Union of Biological Sciences IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature (legally International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). For a number of years, ending on 10 March 2008, it used the awkward names "IUCN – The World Conservation Union," and then "The World Conservation Union (IUCN)." MAB: Man and the Biosphere Programme (of Unesco) NGO: Non-governmental organization North: In an international context, refers to the richer, industrialized countries of the world OAS: Organization of American States OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation Ramsar Convention: Convention on Wetlands of Sahel: Region of Africa, a semiarid band south of the Sahara Desert stretching from Senegal to Egypt SCOPE: Scientific Committee on Problems of the
South: In an international context, refers to the less-developed countries of the world Sustainable development: "Improving the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems" (Caring for the Earth, IUCN/WWF/UNEP, 1991) TNC: The Nature Conservancy TRAFFIC: A wildlife trade monitoring group sponsored by IUCN and WWF UN: United Nations UNCED: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development ("Earth Summit"), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992 UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on
Trade and UNDP: United Nations Development Programme UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme Unesco: United Nations Educational, Scientific
and UNFPA: United Nations Population Fund UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development UNITAR: United Nations Institute for Training
and UNU: United Nations University USAID: United States Agency for International WCED: World Commission on Environment and WCMC: World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP) WFP: World Food Programme (UN) WHO: World Health Organization (UN) WMO: World Meteorological Organization (UN) WSSD: World Summit on Sustainable Development (UN), Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002 WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature or WWF - The Conservation Organization (known as World Wildlife Fund in certain countries) |
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