La governance internazionale ambientale. L'UNEP e la necessità di una riforma verso Rio+20

The present work aims to analyse the action of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) from the beginning to present days, taking into account its structure and the core functions established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 2297 (XXVII), enlightning both its virtues and critical aspects. Considering its juridical status of General Assembly subsidiary body ex art. 22 of the UN Charter, the article underlines the limits of UNEP action. The analysis can't ignore the context of the International Environmental Governance, with the profusion of Agencies, Institutes and Organizations that works on these issues, and the broader context of sustainable development, considering the international debate emerged during the preparatory works towards the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20, June 20-22, 2012) established by the UN General Assembly Resolution 64/236 adopted on the 24th of December 2009. Finally, the article analyses the reform options for the IEG and the UNEP itself, since the reform of the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development will be one of the focus themes of the Rio+20 Conference.