Introduction In the past three decades, protecting the global environment has emerged as one of the major challenges in international relations. Governments have also endorsed dozens of comprehensive action plans, most notably the 400-page Agenda 21, which set forth a blueprint for implementing sustainable development.

International efforts done by states to sustain the environment. Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) MEAs are agreements between several countries that apply internationally or regionally and concern a variety of environmental questions. Each agreement has a specific mission and objectives ratified by multiple states.

Many Multilateral Environmental Agreements have been negotiated with the support from the United Nations Environmental Programme and work towards the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals as a means to instil sustainable practices for the environment and its people throughout the world.

Rio Conference (1992) The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), better known as the 1992 Earth Summit, was the first major international meeting since the end of the Cold War and was attended by delegations from 175 countries.

Agenda 21 Agenda 21 is a detailed plan of actions to be implemented at the global, national and local levels by UN organizations, member states and key individual groups in all regions. Agenda 21 advocates making sustainable development a legal principle law. At the local level, local Agenda 21 advocates an inclusive, territory-based strategic plan, incorporating sustainable environmental and social policies.

Domestic efforts Domestic efforts for sustaining environment Governments recognize that there is a new global effort to relate the elements of the international economic system and mankind's need for a safe and stable natural environment. Therefore, it is the intent of Governments that consensus- building at the intersection of the environmental and trade and development areas will be ongoing in existing international forums, as well as in the domestic policy of each country.

UN ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. ) The UN's main body for coordinating municipal and urban decision-making is named the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Its slogan is "Local Governments for Sustainability".

ICLEIs projects and achievements include: Convincing thousands of municipal leaders to sign the World Mayors and Municipal Leaders Declaration on Climate Change (2005) which notably requests of other levels of government that: Global trade regimes, credits and banking reserve rules be reformed to advance debt relief and incentives to implement polices and practices that reduce and mitigate climate change. Starting national councils to implement this and other key agreements, e.g., ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA.

International organization World Environment Organization (WEO ) A proposed World Environment Organization, analogous to the World Health Organization could be capable of adapting treaties and enforcing international standards. The European Union, particularly France and Germany, and a number of NGOs favour creating a WEO. The United Kingdom, the US and most developing countries prefer to focus on voluntary initiatives.

General role of UNEP The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the principal United Nations body in the field of the environment. The role of UNEP is to be the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda,

Conclusion When the United Nations was created more than a half- century ago, environmental degradation was not even considered much of a national threat, let alone a pressing global problem that could provoke international conflict and undermine human health, economic well being, and social stability.