Our work in Latin America and the Caribbean

UNEP, established in 1972, is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system. UN Environment acts as a catalyst, advocate, educator and facilitator to promote the wise use and sustainable development of the global environment.

UN Environment’s Latin America and the Caribbean Office is located in Panama City and works closely with the 33 countries of the region – including 16 small island developing states – with a total population of about nearly 600 million people. The office works to serve the needs of the region and to ensure its activities are integrated into the work programmes approved by UN Environment’s governing body, the UN Environment Assembly.

Latin America and the Caribbean is a region rich in diversity of environments, ecosystems, species and cultures and includes seven of diverse countries. The region is divided into four regions: Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, the Andean Region and Southern Cone. Each has a unique set of characteristics, priorities and environmental challenges.

We work in the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.

See a list of the environment ministries we work with.