GRASP was launched by UN Environment in 2001 and the following year it was listed as a “Type II Partnership” at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. This means that an equal vote in decision-making in guaranteed to all partner categories, which are:

Category A: Range states
Category B: Non-range states
Category C: Sponsoring agencies
Category D: Intergovernmental organizations
Category E: NGOs
Category F: Private sector

GRASP is governed by the Council and Executive Committee, while the Secretariat coordinates the day-to-day work of the partnership. The Scientific Committee ensures that all GRASP outputs, such as reports and publications, are based on the latest knowledge and evidence.

More detailed descriptions of the different GRASP organs can be found under the respective sections.