ELCI is a global membership organization, bringing together over 800 civil society organization (CSO) members from all the continents of the world. ELCI was conceived at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in 1972 in Stockholm (also known as The Stockholm Conference), Sweden, under the auspices of the United Nations. It brought States together in proclaiming that preservation of the environment is essential to the continued enjoyment of life itself. The Stockholm Conference proposed a specialized agency within the UN Secretariat to facilitate coordinated efforts among States towards protection of the environment. As a result, in 1973 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established by a resolution of the General Assembly, and its base established in Nairobi, Kenya.