World Environment Day (June 5): origin and meaning
World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 every year. It is one of the most widely observed international environmental events, engaging more than 100 countries.
Origin
According to Tuoi Tre Online, citing VietNamNet, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate World Environment Day as June 5 in 1972 and assigned the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, to organize the commemoration. Every year, solemn celebrations are held in more than 100 countries.
Purpose
The purpose of World Environment Day is to focus worldwide attention on the importance of the environment and to encourage political interest and action to protect the environment. The event also provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international conventions on the environment, while strengthening political attention and environmental protection actions.
Organization and themes
Each year, the United Nations selects a city to host the World Environment Day celebrations. The government and host city cooperate with UNEP to create the atmosphere for the event. Themes, slogans and logos are chosen to focus publicity materials for World Environment Day, as well as global advocacy activities.
The list of host cities for international activities on World Environment Day (from 1987) includes:
| Year | City | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Nairobi | Kenya |
| 1988 | Bangkok | Thailand |
| 1989 | Brussels | Belgium |
| 1990 | Mexico City | Mexico |
| 1991 | Stockholm | Sweden |
| 1992 | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil |
| 1993 | Beijing | China |
| 1994 | London | United Kingdom |
| 1995 | Pretoria | South Africa |
| 1996 | Istanbul | Turkey |
| 1997 | Seoul | South Korea |
| 1998 | Moscow | Russia |
| 1999 | Tokyo | Japan |
| 2000 | Adelaide | Australia |
| 2001 | Torino/Havana | Italy/Cuba |
| 2002 | Shenzhen | China |
| 2003 | Beirut | Lebanon |
| 2004 | Barcelona | Spain |
| 2005 | San Francisco | USA |
| 2006 | Algiers | Algeria |
Typical activities
Activities planned before or during World Environment Day are diverse. World Environment Day is a people's event with rich activities such as marches, bicycle parades, green concerts, school competitions, tree planting, recycling campaigns and environmental clean-ups.
World Environment Day is also an intellectual event, providing opportunities for seminars and forums on preserving a clean environment for the benefit of future generations. The mass media plays an important role; the event also inspires thousands of journalists worldwide to write about the environment.
Many commitments have been solemnly declared, resulting in the establishment of many government environmental management and economic planning agencies. Local, regional and government officials, heads of state and environment ministers make announcements and commitments to care for our Earth.
For example, in 1994, President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines called on his people to pause for a moment at noon on June 5 to think about cleaning the environment, thinking of green, with inherent vitality and excitement to restore the energy we borrow from nature.
Significance for Vietnam
Vietnam is one of the countries actively responding to World Environment Day. Every year, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and localities organize practical activities such as tree planting, environmental cleaning, and raising community awareness. World Environment Day reminds each citizen of the responsibility to protect the living environment, contributing to a green, clean and beautiful Vietnam.
World Environment Day is not only a commemoration but also a call for practical action to protect our planet.
