Annual Report 1999

GRID-Arendal As a specific follow-up to the recommendations of the 1987 World Commission on Environment and Development, the Government of Norway and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) es- tablished an environmental information centre in Arendal, Norway. Set up as a foundation under Norwegian legislation, the centre was linked to the world-wide UNEP programme termed Global Resource Informa- tion Database and was therefore called a GRID centre. GRID-Arendal was opened by the Norwegian Prime Minister on August 22, 1989. This new institutional model of a non-profit foundation, supporting in- ternational activities within the programme framework of a UN agency, was also considered interesting for potential wider replication. The Norwegian Ministry of Environment (MoE) appoints the Board of Directors with one member representing UNEP. A Memorandum of Un- derstanding (MoU) between UNEP and the Government of Norway and the prevailing UNEP Programme of Work define the operational policy context within which UNEP expects GRID-Arendal's support. The MoU provides the basis for the core funding provided annually from MoE to GRID-Arendal.

Norway

Arendal in summer

Arendal in winter

GRID-Arendal is located in the Longum Park Technology Centre in Arendal, a city on the southern coast of Norway. Longum Park houses 22 institutions and firms mainly re- lating to information technology, with a total of 200 employees. Location

GRID-Arendal Mission Statement

"GRID-Arendal provides environmental information, communications and

capacity building services for information management and assessment. Established to strenghten the United Nations through its Environment Programme (UNEP), our focus is to make credible, science-based knowledge understandable to the public and to decision-making for sustainable development ."

UNEP, DEIA Mission Statements "to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations". UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

"to keep under review the state of the global environment, assess global and regional environmental trends, and pro- vide early warning information on environmental threats". DEIA Division for Environmental Information and Assessment and Early Warning