The significance of World Environment Day World Environment Day handbook content

Significance of World Environment Day

World Environment Day was established to draw the world's attention to the state of the global environment and the harm done to it by human activities, and to emphasize the importance of protecting and improving the human environment. It reflects the awareness and attitudes of the peoples of the world towards environmental issues and expresses mankind's aspiration and pursuit of a better environment. World Environment Day is also one of the main mediums through which the United Nations raises global environmental awareness and urges Governments to take action on environmental issues.

In January 1973, the United Nations General Assembly, pursuant to a resolution of the Conference on the Human Environment, established the United Nations Environment Programme (unep) to deal with the day-to-day affairs of the United Nations in the field of the environment and to promote and coordinate environmental protection within and outside the United Nations.

unep is responsible for determining the theme of World Environment Day each year. These themes basically reflect the world's major environmental problems and environmental hotspots of the year and are very relevant.

unep commemorates World Environment Day on 5 June each year with an annual report on the state of the environment and recognition of the "Global 500". Since 1987, unep has also chosen a city each year to be the center of the UN's promotional activities. Governments, civil society organizations and people in many countries also hold various commemorative activities on this day every year.