World Environment Day

5 June

The United Nations designated 5 June as World Environment Day to highlight that the protection and health of the environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world. The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.

The year 1972 marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics, with the first major conference on environmental issues, known as the Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference. Later that year, on 15 December, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)) designating June 5 as World Environment Day and urging “Governments and the organizations in the United Nations system to undertake on that day every year world-wide activities reaffirming their concern for the preservation and enhancement of the environment, with a view to deepening environmental awareness.”

UNESCO has an important track record in advancing ecological sciences through pioneering work on ecosystems, biosphere reserves, capacity building, scientific assessments and policy briefs to assist decision-makers in managing natural resources sustainably. UNESCO mobilizes the knowledge, know-how and practices of local communities and indigenous peoples to support their inclusion in environmental decision-making. Its World Network of Biosphere Reserves demonstrate ways to safeguard natural ecosystems and biodiversity through science, education and participatory approaches while promoting innovative economic development that is environmentally sustainable and socially and culturally appropriate.

Messages Panels and webinars Art for biodiversity UNESCO stories and actions

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL

"Over the past year, the environmental crisis has revealed itself in a spectacular and disturbing manner. While wildfires ravaged tropical rainforests as if they were arid savannah, dramatically highlighting the effects of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic has cast yet another harsh light on the crisis affecting biodiversity. The pandemic has allowed us to observe what scientists the world over have been saying for years: the interdependence between humanity and biodiversity is so profound that the latter’s vulnerabilities are our own. This health crisis is a warning that we must heed collectively: we must now fundamentally rethink our relationship with the living world, with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity. Together we must construct a new pact with the living world. This is an immense work in progress. It will require a broad consensus, both technical and ethical. UNESCO is one of the places where such a consensus can be built."

— Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, on the occasion of World Environment Day 2020

Message from the President of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada,

In this period of pandemic, the President of Costa Rica presents his country's ecological and social actions. Public education, universal healthcare, renewable energies... he invites us all to act for biodiversity:

"The moment is now: an exemplary Costan Rican model proves that yes - we can generate well-being and preserve biodiversity through nature-based solutions."

Go to: Messages | Panels and webinars | Art for biodiversity | UNESCO stories and actions

biodiversity expert panels: our solutions are in nature

The COVID 19 pandemic revealed how fragile our world is. Scientists and many other voices are raising, including political, from private sector and civil society calling for transformations and breaks with processes that are destroying the living fabrics of the planet, creating unacceptable inequalities and threatening our common future and that of the younger generations. UNESCO invites us to reflect on these issues on the occasion of the International Biodiversity Day by setting up online dialogues and conversations between experts, our networks, in particular our sites and youth networks, our private sector partners and artists.

Links between Coronavirus and biodiversity: the scientific finding

What unites us: connecting around shared values ?

What changes are needed ?

What are the possible ways/tools to regenerate ecosystems and restore our links to the living ?

Sharing solutions from nature

LVMH reaffirms its historic commitment to environmental protection alongside UNESCO

A few questions:

What is your view, what are your thoughts on the crisis we're going through?
What changes are required of us? What are the opportunities to be seized?
What practices should we give up?
What has become unacceptable?
What can we do to make change (and which change) happen?
What obstacles can we encounter?
What strengths and allies do we have to get through this and move forward?

Some speakers:

Eduardo Brondizio, Co-chair of the IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Serge Morand, CNRS-CIRAD Researcher, ecologist and evolutionary biologist
Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO
Raphaël Mathevet, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Research Director
Alice Roth, Founder and vice-president of the Co-MAB association

SEAMEO - UNESCO Joint Webinar "COVID-19 Effects on Biodiversity: Science Education Reimagined"

Webinar Registration

Date: 5 June 2020 I 10.00-11.30 hrs (time in Thailand, UTC/GMT +7)
How: Participants will need to pre-register at the link provided in the SEAMEO Secretariat website and official social media channels. The link to the webinar platform shall be emailed to all registered participants.
Registration Link

Objectives:

To promote environmental awareness and education for sustainable development
To share existing initiatives and efforts at the national and regional level to promote biodiversity, and ecosystems/environment.
To explore educational solutions for promoting biodiversity in the new normal and discuss recommendations on Post-COVID-19 rehabilitation initiatives.

Panelists:

Opening remarks by Benno Boer, UNESCO (pdf)

Dr Glenn B Gregorio, Director, SEAMEO Regional Centre for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA); Professor of College of Agriculture and Crip Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños and Academician, Member of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Philippines
Presentation: “Agricultural Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture Food Systems” (pdf)
Evonne Yiu, Research Fellow, United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
Presentation: Biodiversity for One Health: Making Transformative Change through Education (pdf)
Dr Sri Sudarmiyati, Expert SEAMEO Regional Centre for Tropical Biology (SEAMEO BIOTROP) Indonesia
Presentation Title: “The Challenges of Studying Plant Diversity in Indonesia” (pdf)

Assoc Prof Dr Krisanadej Jaroensutasinee, Director of CoE for Ecoinformatics Assisting Dean on Research of School of Science, and NASA Scientist Fellow on Southeast Asia Composition, Cloud, Climate Coupling Regional Study Campaign, Walailak University, Thailand
Presentation Title: STEM Education through Conservation Biology: Case Studies from Coral reef to Tropical Rain Forest (pdf)
Dr Jestoni Babia, Dean, College of Education, University of San Jose- Recoletos, Philippines and SEAMEO ESD Fellow.
Presentation: Teacher Education: Institution’s Initiatives on Biodiversity in the Lens of ESD (pdf)

Contact Details

Ms Piyapa Su-angavatin (Project Officer): piyapa@seameo.org
Dr Orawan Sriboonruang (Programme Officer II): orawan@seameo.org
Secretariat: webinar@seameo.org

Art for biodiversity

To mark the celebration of World Environment Day, the European Broadcasting Union has invited artists to mark the impact of the environment and nature on music, with a range of initiatives in partnership with UNESCO. One of the highlights will be the premiere of a re-versioned work - Prayer and Blessing - by world-renowned composer, conductor, and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun during a special radio programme that will be broadcast on Friday.

List of participating radios

More information

On World Environment Day 2020, Tan Dun, Chinese composer and conductor, who was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in March 2013 for "his efforts to promote intercultural dialogue through music, raise awareness of the scarcity of natural resources such as water, and the diversity of languages” reminds us that the links of interdependence between humanity and biodiversity are so strong that its vulnerability is our fragility.

Artists from 12 countries around the world came together virtually during the COVID 19 crisis to produce this artistic performance live from New York and Shanghai, conducted by Tan Dun.

A l'occasion de la Journée mondiale de l'Environnement 2020, Jean Michel Jarre, Ambassadeur de bonne volonté de l’UNESCO réaffirme sa position en tant qu'artiste en faveur de l'environnement et dans la lutte contre le changement climatique.

Go to: Messages | Panels and webinars | Art for biodiversity | UNESCO stories and actions

MAB Youth stories

These stories on the importance of biodiversity from the perspective of young people in biosphere reserves were prepared by the Youth Network of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. In this article, representatives from around the world give us an insightful overview of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Read all of the stories