AROUND THE WORLD

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is about you and me. It is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

The theme Give Earth a Chance calls on each and every one of us to contribute to the healing of the ailing planet. In spite of considerable efforts and significant achievements, many of the problems, which plagued the Earth during the 20th Century, still linger. More than ever, we need to take the necessary steps to ensure that the environment remains at the top of the global agenda. You will note that the logo of the International Year of Mountains (IYM) has been incorporated in our World Environment Day (WED) logo in order to highlight this important United Nations Year.

The main international celebrations of the World Environment Day will be held in the City of Shenzhen and UNEP is honoured that the People's Republic of China will be hosting this important United Nations day.

Broadly, our agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. World Environment Day is a people's event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.

World Environment Day is also a multi-media event, which inspires thousands of journalists to write and report enthusiastically and critically on the environment. It is a visual event with television documentaries, photo exhibits and displays, as well as an intellectual event for those who organize and participate in seminars, roundtable meetings and symposia. In many countries, this observance provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international conventions and sometimes leads to the establishment of permanent government structures dealing with environmental management and economic planning.