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76-566: The Nairobi Convention is a partnership between governments, civil society and the private sector, working towards a prosperous Western Indian Ocean Region with healthy rivers, coasts and oceans. It pursues this vision by providing a mechanism for regional cooperation, coordination and collaborative actions; it enables the Contracting Parties to harness resources and expertise from a wide range of stakeholders and interest groups; and in this way it helps solve inter-linked problems of

152-652: A Declaration on the Human Environment ( Stockholm Declaration ) and the establishment of an environmental management body, which was later named the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). UNEP was established by General Assembly Resolution 2997. Headquarters were established in Nairobi , Kenya, with a staff of 300, including 100 professionals in a variety of fields, and with a five-year fund of more than US$ 100 million. At

228-703: A pro bono basis made possible by his business activities, which included being chairman of the International Advisory Group of CH2M Hill , Strovest Holdings, Technology Development Inc., Zenon Environmental, and most recently, Cosmos International and the China Carbon Corporation. Strong lobbied to change NGO perspectives on the World Bank . He is believed by some to have inspired the works of former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on climate change. In 1999 Strong took on

304-683: A $ 35 million luxury hotel within the Jairo Mora Sandoval Gandoca-Manzanillo Mixed Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica where development is restricted and must be approved by the Kekoldi Indian Association, which it was not. "He (Strong) is supporting Indians and conservation around the world and here he's doing the complete opposite," lamented Demetrio Myorga, President of the Kekoldi Indian Association. Maurice Strong

380-647: A book with the Parliament of the World's Religions Climate Action Program entitled, "Faith for Earth: A Call for Action." The book serves as an educational resource for students, teachers, and leaders across the world and highlights the role that faith-based organizations can play in addressing critical environmental issues. UN assigns specific years to topics to raise awareness and engagement. The following years pertain to environmental topics: See international observance and list of environmental dates . Following

456-666: A joint statement with the United Nations University predicting that "50 million people could become environmental refugees by 2010, fleeing the effects of climate change ". This was reinforced in 2008, by Srgjan Kerim, President of the UN General Assembly, who estimated that there would be between 50 million and 200 million environmental migrants by 2010. In 2008, UNEP made a series of statements that glaciers are shrinking at record rates and many could disappear within decades. Scientists measuring

532-470: A report on the state of the planet, Only One Earth: The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet , co-authored by Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos . The report summarized the findings of 152 leading experts from 58 countries in preparation for the first UN meeting on the environment , held in Stockholm in 1972. This was the world's first "state of the environment" report. The Stockholm Conference established

608-594: A universal member system (all UN member states). (UNEA, UN Environment Assembly) It was implemented once in 2014. The European Investment Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme created the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP) in 2015 to assist a United Nations project dubbed Sustainable Energy for All. Renewable Energy Performance Platform was established with $ 67 million from

684-466: Is a cousin of American journalist and activist Anna Louise Strong . Strong later said that growing up during the Depression radicalized him and that he considered himself to be "a socialist in ideology, a capitalist in methodology." He dropped out of high school at the age of 14 and did not attend university. Despite the lack of formal education, he became CEO of many companies. In 1948, when he

760-605: Is the co-chair and a founding partner (along with groups such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation ) for the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy , which is a public-private partnership of over 50 global organizations and governments seeking to support the transition to a global circular economy . Established in 1974, this is the world's only legal programme for the purpose of protecting

836-561: Is the solar loan programme sponsored by UNEP that helped 100,000 people finance solar power systems in India . Success in India's solar programme has led to similar projects in other parts of the developing world, including Tunisia , Morocco , Indonesia and Mexico . In 2001, UNEP alerted about the destruction of the Marshlands when it released satellite images showing that 90 percent of

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912-474: The 1979 federal election , but chose to abandon the race, returning to private enterprise to manage AZL Resources, a Denver oil promoter that he had previously acquired, where he served as chairman and was the largest shareholder. In 1981, Strong was sued for allegedly hyping the stock ahead of a merger that eventually failed. Strong settled for $ 4.2 million at the insistence of his insurance company. AZL merged with Tosco Corporation from which Strong acquired

988-667: The Colorado Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service who alleged the project would affect others' water rights and cause significant environmental damage to nearby wetland and sand dune ecosystems by reducing the flow of surface water. After a lengthy trial, which ended in 1992, Colorado courts ruled against AWDI and required payment of the portion of the objectors' legal fees, $ 3.1 million, which were spent fighting AWDI's attempt to appropriate surface water for beneficial use. While this

1064-805: The District Court for Water Division 3 in Alamosa, Colorado for the right to pump underground water from the lands of the Luis Maria Baca Grant No. 4 and other lands in Saguache County, Colorado in Colorado's San Luis Valley and sell it to water districts in the Front Range Urban Corridor of Colorado. The project was opposed by neighboring water rights owners, local water conservation districts,

1140-646: The Earth Summit , and held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992. According to Strong, participants at the Rio Conference adopted sound principles but did not make a commitment to action sufficient to prevent global environmental tragedy, committing to spend less than 5% of the $ 125 billion he felt appropriate for environmental projects in developing nations. He was seconded in that opinion by U.N. Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali who stated to

1216-716: The United Kingdom 's International Climate Finance initiative, administered by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy , in 2015, and $ 128 million in 2018. REPP was established with a five-year goal of improving energy access for at least two million people in Sub-Saharan Africa. It has so far invested around $ 45 million to renewable energy projects in 13 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa . Solar power and hydropower are among

1292-752: The United Nations Environment Programme . He returned to Canada to become Chief Executive Officer of Petro-Canada from 1976 to 1978. He headed Ontario Hydro , one of North America's largest power utilities, was national president and chairman of the Extension Committee of the World Alliance of YMCAs and headed American Water Development Incorporated . He served as a commissioner of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1986 and

1368-590: The World Conservation Monitoring Centre , based in Cambridge and sponsored by IUCN , became part of UNEP. In December 1972, the UN General Assembly unanimously elected Maurice Strong to be the first head of UN Environment. He was also secretary-general of both the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and the Earth Summit (1992). The position was then held for 17 years (1975–1992) by Mostafa Kamal Tolba , who

1444-903: The World Meteorological Organization and UNEP established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol . UNEP sometimes uses the alternative name UN Environment. The headquarters of the agency is in Nairobi, Kenya. In

1520-977: The World Resources Institute , membership on the board of the International Institute for Sustainable Development , the Stockholm Environment Institute , The Africa-America Institute , the Institute of Ecology in Indonesia, the Beijer Institute of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and others. Strong was a longtime Foundation Director of the World Economic Forum , a senior advisor to the president of

1596-605: The 160,000 acres (65,000 ha) Baca Ranch in Colorado which would house Strong's Manitou Foundation. Strong later became chairman of the Canada Development Investment Corporation , the holding company for some of Canada's principal government-owned corporations. In 1992, he became Chairman of Ontario Hydro . Charles Lynch noted that Strong "tended to fare better than the companies and institutions that have used his talents." He

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1672-443: The 1970s, the need for environmental governance at a global level was not universally accepted, particularly by developing nations. Some argued that environmental concerns were not a priority for nations in poverty. The leadership of Canadian diplomat Maurice Strong convinced many of the developing nations' governments that they needed to prioritize this issue. In the words of Nigerian professor Adebayo Adedeji : "Mr. Strong, through

1748-409: The 1987 Montreal Protocol for limiting emissions of gases blamed for thinning the planet's protective ozone layer, and the 2017 Minamata Convention , a treaty to limit toxic mercury. UNEP has sponsored the development of solar loan programmes, with attractive return rates, to buffer the initial deployment costs and entice consumers to consider and purchase solar PV systems . The most famous example

1824-694: The 2007 publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report , the Paris Call for Action , presented by French president Jacques Chirac and supported by 46 countries, called for the UNEP to be replaced by a new and more powerful "United Nations Environment Organization", to be modeled on the World Health Organization . The 46 countries included the European Union nations, but notably did not include

1900-883: The African Marine and Coastal Programme (funded by the Swedish government in 2011-2016). The Nairobi Convention Secretariat held the Conference of Plenipotentiaries and the Sixth Conference of Parties (COP6) to the Nairobi Convention at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters at Gigiri in Nairobi Kenya, from 29 March to 1 April 2010, which considered and adopted the Amended Nairobi Convention for

1976-596: The General Assembly of the United Nations. Maurice Strong became director in 1999 where he was at the center of further controversy, particularly in reference to the eviction of the beloved radio station Radio for Peace International (RFPI), the fleeing of the Earth Council in 2003, and the implementation of military training programs on campus. Strong was a board member of the Earth Council, which

2052-698: The International Environmental Education Programme (1975–1995), which set out a vision for, and gave practical guidance on how to mobilize education for environmental awareness. In 1976 UNESCO launched an environmental education newsletter Connect as the official organ of the UNESCO-UNEP International Environmental Education Programme (IEEP). Until 2007 it served as a clearinghouse to exchange information on environmental education in general and to promote

2128-666: The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs said the freezing of funds was probably unprecedented. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a free content work. Licensed under CC BY-SA ( license statement/permission ). Text taken from Issues and trends in Education for Sustainable Development​ , 26, 27, UNESCO. Maurice Strong Maurice Frederick Strong , PC , CC , OM , FRSC , FRAIC (April 29, 1929 – November 27, 2015)

2204-1038: The Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Western Indian Ocean. United Nations Environment Programme As a member of the United Nations Development Group , UNEP aims to help the world meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals . UNEP hosts the secretariats of several multilateral environmental agreements and research bodies, including The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), The Minamata Convention on Mercury , The Basel , Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, The Convention on Migratory Species and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), among others. In 1988,

2280-543: The U.N. had reached an impasse. "It just happened to coincide with the publicity surrounding my so-called nefarious activities," he insisted. "I had no involvement at all in Oil-for-Food ;... I just stayed out of it." In Volcker's September 7 report he concluded, "While there is evidence that Iraqi officials tried to establish a relationship with Mr. Strong, the Committee has found no evidence that Mr. Strong

2356-399: The U.N.'s Oil-for-Food Programme , evidence procured by federal investigators and the U.N.-authorized inquiry of Paul Volcker showed that in 1997, while working for Annan, Strong had endorsed a cheque for $ 988,885, made out to "Mr. M. Strong," issued by a Jordanian bank. It was reported that the cheque was hand-delivered to Mr. Strong by a South Korean businessman, Tongsun Park , who in 2006

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2432-516: The UN, but I'm still quite cooperative with a number of UN activities, in particular to China and that region. I don't have any government responsibilities or formal role. I continue to be active, though. In 2012 for Rio+20 he contributed to a book by Felix Dodds and Michael Strauss titled Only One Earth — the Long Road via Rio to Sustainable Development , which reviewed the last forty years and

2508-563: The United States, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and China, the top four emitters of greenhouse gases . In December 2012, following the Rio+20 Summit, a decision by the General Assembly of the United Nations to "strengthen and upgrade" the UNEP and establish universal membership of its governing body was confirmed. In other words, it was reorganized by applying the existing executive member system (58 member states) from 1973 to 2013 to

2584-595: The University for Peace and helped to rebuild its programs and leadership. He retired from the Council in the spring of 2007. From 2003 to 2005, Strong served as the personal envoy to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to lead support for the international response to the humanitarian and development needs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea . The University for Peace was established in 1980 by

2660-522: The Western Indian Ocean region through funding from organizations such as GEF and the Governments of Norway and Sweden and through partnerships with other organizations such as Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), Birdlife International, African Union (AU), Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), WWF and IUCN. These include the project Addressing land-based Activities in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO-LaB) project (funded by GEF in 2004-2010) and

2736-1009: The World Bank, a member of the International Advisory of Toyota Motor Corporation, the Advisory Council for the Center for International Development at Harvard University , the World Business Council for Sustainable Development , the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the World Wildlife Fund , Resources for the Future and the Eisenhower Fellowships . His public service activities were carried out on

2812-416: The age of 86 in 2015. Maurice Strong was a child during the Great Depression , enduring serious poverty. His father was laid off at the beginning of the Depression era and thereafter supported his family on odd jobs; his mother succumbed to mental illness and died in a mental hospital. He was born in Oak Lake, Manitoba , a town on the Canadian prairies on the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway . He

2888-399: The aims and activities of the IEEP in particular, as well as being a network for institutions and individuals interested and active in environment education. Climate change In 1989, UNEP published a statement predicting that "entire nations could be wiped off the face of the Earth by sea level rise if the global warming trend is not reversed by the year 2000". In 2005, UNEP issued

2964-470: The case was settled for $ 11.8 million, without a ruling of wrongdoing. Strong was sharing a house in 1947 with the first UN Treasurer, Noah Monod, who upon request arranged a UN job for him, starting as a junior security officer at UN headquarters in Lake Success, New York . He later returned to Canada, and with the support of Lester B. Pearson , directed the founding of the Canadian International Development Agency in 1968. In 1971, Strong commissioned

3040-512: The challenges for the future. He attended the conference, for which the United Nations Development Program paid all his travel expenses. Maurice Strong was no stranger to skepticism and criticism as a result of his lifelong involvement in the oil industry, juxtaposed with his heavy ties to the environmental issues. Some wonder why an "oilman" would be chosen to take on such coveted and respected environmental positions. One of Strong's companies, Desarrollos Ecológicos (Ecological Development), built

3116-513: The core source of UNEP's programs. Between 1974 and 1986 UNEP produced more than 200 technical guidelines or manuals on environment including forest and water management, pest control , pollution monitoring, the relationship between chemical use and health, and management of industry. The location of the headquarters proved to be a major controversy, with developed countries preferring Geneva , where several other UN offices are based, while developing countries preferred Nairobi, as that would be

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3192-404: The delegates, "The current level of commitment is not comparable to the size and gravity of the problems," After the Earth Summit, Strong continued to take a leading role in implementing the results of agreements at the Earth Summit through the establishment of the Earth Council , acting as co-chair of the Earth Charter Commission at the outset of the Earth Charter movement, his chairmanship of

3268-419: The delicate question of the Korean Peninsula and China's changing role in the world. Your unwavering commitment to the environment, multilateralism and peaceful resolution of conflicts is especially appreciated. In 2010, Strong described the nature of his activities at that time: I am retired from all my official roles, but I am still very active. I have close relationships at the UN. I don't have any role at

3344-419: The energy and utility businesses, Power Corporation of Canada . It appointed him initially as its executive vice president and then president from 1961 until 1966. In 1976, at the request of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau , Strong returned to Canada to head the newly created national oil company, Petro-Canada . He was slated to stand as a candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada in Scarborough Centre in

3420-572: The energy methods used in the projects. In September 2018, a series of allegations were made against the executive director of the UNEP, Eric Solheim, at that time, including excessive number of days spent outside the headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. As a result, Eric Solheim resigned. Several donor countries withdrew their donation in the aftermath of the allegation, including the Dutch government who announced it would withhold $ 8 million in funding to UNEP until nepotism issues were resolved. Sweden and Denmark stopped funding as well. A spokesman for

3496-448: The environment as part of an international development agenda. It led to the establishment by the UN General Assembly in December 1972 of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with headquarters in Nairobi , Kenya , and the election of Strong to head it. UNEP was the first UN agency to be headquartered in the third world . As head of UNEP, Strong convened the first international expert group meeting on climate change. Strong

3572-444: The environmental field. The Global 500 Roll of Honour was initiated in 1987 and ended in 2003. Its 2005 successor, Champions of the Earth , and a similar award, Young Champions of the Earth , are given annually to entrepreneurs, scientists, policy leaders, upcoming talent, individuals and organizations who make significant positive impacts on resources and the environment in their areas. UNEP has registered several successes, such as

3648-586: The environmental movement, he was instrumental in promoting government funding and entry into international meetings for environmental non-governmental organizations . Maurice Strong received a number of honours, awards and medals. He received 53 honorary doctorate degrees and honorary visiting professorships at 7 universities. Honours appearing in the Canadian order of precedence are: Other honours and awards include: John Ralston Saul dedicated his polemic Voltaire's Bastards: The Dictatorship of Reason In The West to Strong. Strong's papers are archived at

3724-428: The fifth Magdeburg Environmental Forum held in 2008, in Magdeburg , Germany, UNEP and car manufacturer Daimler AG called for the establishment of infrastructure for electric vehicles . At this international conference 250 politicians and representatives of non-government organizations discussed future road transportation under the motto of "Sustainable Mobility–the Post-2012 CO 2 Agenda". Circular economy UNEP

3800-400: The firm in 1956 and setting up his own firm, M.F. Strong Management, assisting investors in locating opportunities in the Alberta oil patch. In the 1950s, he took over a small natural gas company, Ajax Petroleum, and built it into one of the largest companies in the industry, Norcen Resources . This attracted the attention of one of Canada's principal investment corporations with interests in

3876-418: The first international organization headquartered in the Global South . At first, Mexico City , New Delhi , and Cairo were also competing to be the headquarters, but they pulled out to support Nairobi. Many of the developing countries were "not particularly supportive of creating a new formal institution for environmental governance", but supported its creation as an act of "Southern solidarity". In 2000,

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3952-426: The health of almost 30 glaciers around the world found that ice loss reached record levels in 2006. On average, the studied glaciers shrank by 4.9 feet in 2006. Norway 's Breidalblikkbrea glacier shrank 10.2 feet in 2006. Glaciers lost an average of about a foot of ice a year between 1980 and 1999, but since the turn of the millennium the average loss has increased to about 20 inches. Electric vehicles At

4028-474: The marsh had been lost. The UNEP "support for environmental management of the Iraqi Marshland" began in 2004, to manage the marshland area in an environmentally sound manner. UNEP has a programme for young people known as Tunza. Within this programme are other projects like the AEO for Youth . UNEP uses its position to raise awareness for a range of issues. International Environmental Education Programme (1975–1995) For two decades, UNESCO and UNEP led

4104-448: The modern U.N. has come to embody" in which Strong had a major role. In reply, Strong stated that "everything I did, I checked it out carefully with the U.S." Shortly after this, Strong moved to an apartment he owned in Beijing , where he appeared to have settled. He said that his departure from the U.N. was motivated not by the Oil-for-Food investigations, but by his sense at the time, as Mr. Annan's special adviser on North Korea, that

4180-822: The oceans and seas at the regional level. More than 143 countries participate in 18 regional programmes established by the Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans, with 14 of them underpinned by legally binding international conventions, such as the Helsinki Convention , the Oslo Dumping Convention , the Barcelona Convention or the Bucharest Convention. The RSCAPs include the Caribbean region , East Asian seas, East African region, Mediterranean Basin , Pacific Northwest region, West African region, Caspian Sea , Black Sea region, Northeast Pacific region, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden , ROPME Sea Area, South Asian seas, Southeast Pacific region, Pacific region, Arctic region, Antarctic region, Baltic Sea , and Northeast Atlantic region. Each programme consists of countries which share

4256-442: The period of March 28, 1995 – October 18, 1996, (known as the "class period"), Molten Metal artificially inflated the price of their stock by materially misrepresenting the capability of its technology, namely through a series of public announcements. As of March 11, 1996 Strong owned approximately 40,000 shares of stock and another 262,000 shares were owned by a company of which Strong was Chairman. The company filed for bankruptcy and

4332-415: The region's coastal and marine environment. The Nairobi Convention, which was first signed in 1985 and entered into force in 1996, is part of UN Environment's Regional Seas Programme. The programme aims to address the accelerating degradation of the world's oceans and coastal areas through the sustainable management and use of the marine and coastal environment. It does this by engaging countries that share

4408-600: The resignation of Erik Solheim . Prior to that appointment, she was UNEP's deputy executive director. Inger Andersen was appointed executive director of UNEP by UN secretary-general António Guterres in February 2019. (acting) (born 1968) The United Nations Environment Assembly is UNEP's governing body. Created in 2012 to replace the Governing Council, it currently has 193 members and meets every two years. UNEP's structure includes eight divisions: UNEP's main activities are related to: Several awards programs have been established to recognize outstanding work in

4484-444: The same sea and manages this sea at the regional level. The programmes are controlled by secretariats or Regional Coordinating Units and Regional Activity Centers. UNEP protects seas by promoting international conventions through education and training. Launched in 2017, the initiative's goal is to encourage and collaborate with faith-based organizations to protect the environment and invest in green resources. In 2020, UNEP published

4560-622: The sincerity of his advocacy, soon made it clear that all of us, irrespective of the stage of our development, have a large stake in the matter." After developing organisations such as the International Labour Organization , the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization , the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (the Stockholm Conference) was convened. In this conference various topics were discussed such as pollution, marine life, protection of resources, environmental change, and disasters relating to natural and biological change. This conference resulted in

4636-416: The task of trying to restore the viability of the University for Peace , headquartered in Costa Rica , established under a treaty. The reputation of the University of Peace was at risk because the organization had been subjected to mismanagement, misappropriation of funds and inoperative governance. As chairman of its governing body, the Council, and initially as rector, Strong led the process of revitalizing

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4712-399: The time, US$ 40 million were pledged by the United States and the remainder by 50 other nations. The 'Voluntary Indicative Scale of Contribution' established in 2002 has the role to increase the supporters of the UNEP. The finances related to all programs of UNEP is voluntarily contributed by Member states of the United Nations . The Environmental Fund, which all nations of UNEP invest in, is

4788-441: The western Indian Ocean in actions to protect their shared marine environment. The Contracting Parties ( Comoros , France , Kenya , Madagascar , Mauritius , Mozambique , Seychelles , Somalia , Tanzania and the Republic of South Africa ) to the Convention are part of more than 143 countries that participate in 18 Regional Seas initiatives. The Nairobi Convention Secretariat has successfully implemented various projects within

4864-405: Was a Canadian oil and mineral businessman and a diplomat who served as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations . Strong had his start as an entrepreneur in the Alberta oil patch and was President of Power Corporation of Canada until 1966. In the early 1970s he was Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and then became the first executive director of

4940-464: Was a close adviser to former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and became embroiled in what is now known as the Oil for Food Program Scandal and reportedly received millions of dollars from North Korean and Iraqi lobbyists. Strong died at the age of 86 on November 27, 2015 in Ottawa , Ontario. A funeral service was held there in early December 2015, with a public memorial service occurring in late January 2016 across from Parliament Hill . The service

5016-489: Was broadcast on CPAC , and among those who spoke were James Wolfensohn , Adrienne Clarkson , John Ralston Saul and Achim Steiner . Written tributes from Mikhail Gorbachev , Gro Harlem Brundtland and Kofi Annan were also sent. While unremarkable in appearance, Strong was said to have "an astonishing network" that connected diverse interest groups. One observer described his "scarcely-concealed delight in explaining his often Machiavellian political manoeuvrings." In

5092-506: Was convicted in New York federal court of conspiring to bribe U.N. officials to rig Oil-for-Food in favor of Saddam Hussein . Mr. Strong was never accused of any wrongdoing. During the inquiry, Strong stepped down from his U.N. post, stating that he would "sideline himself until the cloud was removed." The affair was said to have arisen from "the tangled nest of personal relationships, public-private partnerships , murky trust funds , unaudited funding conduits, and inter-woven enterprises that

5168-466: Was created as an international body to promote the environmental policies established at Earth Summit in 1992. The Costa Rican government donated more than 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land to be used by Earth Council, but when plans for building fell through, it was allegedly sold for $ 1.65 million. Earth Council temporarily moved to the UPEACE campus until December 2003 when it moved to Canada in the midst of government accusations and demands for $ 1.65 million. RFPI

5244-427: Was going on, Strong exited the company. Maurice Strong was a director of Molten Metal Technology, Inc., an environmental technology company founded in 1989 that claimed to have innovative technology that could be used to recycle hazardous waste into reusable products. During the years 1992–1995, this innovation attracted approximately $ 25 million in research grants from the United States Department of Energy. Throughout

5320-506: Was instrumental in bringing environmental considerations to the forefront of global thinking and action. Under his leadership, UN Environment's most widely acclaimed success—the historic 1987 agreement to protect the ozone layer —the Montreal Protocol was negotiated. He was succeeded by Elizabeth Dowdeswell (1992–1998), Klaus Töpfer (1998–2006), Achim Steiner (2006–2016), and Erik Solheim (2016–2018). UNEP's acting executive director, Joyce Msuya , took office in November 2018 following

5396-445: Was involved in Iraqi affairs or matters relating to the Programme or took any action at the request of Iraqi officials." Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, near the end of his term, paid the following tribute to Maurice Strong: Looking back on our time together, we have shared many trials and tribulations and I am grateful that I had the benefit of your global vision and wise counsel on many critical issues, not least

5472-535: Was nineteen, Strong was hired as a trainee by a brokerage firm, James Richardson & Sons, Limited of Winnipeg where he took an interest in the oil business, being transferred as an oil specialist to Richardson's office in Calgary, Alberta . There he made the acquaintance of one of the figures in the oil industry, Jack Gallagher , who hired him as his assistant. At Gallagher's Dome Petroleum , Strong occupied several roles including vice president of finance, leaving

5548-519: Was one of the commissioners of the World Commission on Environment and Development, set up as an independent body by the United Nations in 1983. Strong's role in leading the U.N.'s famine relief program in Africa was his first in a series of U.N. advisory assignments, including reform and his appointment as Secretary General of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development, best known as

5624-403: Was said to have become a billionaire as a result of his several ventures, but in 2010 he said that he had "never been anywhere close to being [so]." On December 31, 1986, Strong founded American Water Development Incorporated (AWDI) which he controlled along with his associates, William Ruckelshaus , Richard Lamm , Samuel Belzberg , and Alexander Crutchfield Jr. It filed an application with

5700-469: Was served with an eviction notice in July 2002, based on claims the station was operating without proper permits, which RFPI refuted. Those close to the situation claim that UPEACE officials didn't approve of the criticism they were receiving from the station and took matters into their own hands when power to the building was cut and a wire fence put up around the perimeter. In 2005, during investigations into

5776-616: Was unironically recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a leader in the international environmental movement. He was President of the Council of the University for Peace from 1998 to 2006. More recently Strong was an active honorary professor at Peking University and honorary chairman of its Environmental Foundation. He was chairman of the advisory board for the Institute for Research on Security and Sustainability for Northeast Asia. He died at

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