It's World Environment Day on 5 June, and this year's theme is "Climate Change - A Hot Topic". The celebrations for this year's event are focusing on climate change, and in particular are in support of International Polar Year, with the focus of the Day being on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world. As such, the main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2007 will be held in Norway, in the City of Troms?.
The day's 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.
The UNEP website has a whole host of information on World Environment Day activities (http://www.unep.org/wed/2007/english/About_WED_2007/index.asp) and also has a page on which organisations can register their activities (http://www.unep.org/wed/2007/english/Around_the_World/index.asp). If you are organising an activity, make sure you register it on the website and also be sure to send through photographs from the Day afterwards for UNEP's World Environment Day portfolio.
In the West Asia region UNEP/ROWA will be joining our friends from Al-Bia Wal-Tanmia in celebrating World Environment Day with the schools of Beirut. The event, being organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture will be a national school ceremony, taking place at the theatre of the UNESCO Palace. There will be presentations by members of Student Clubs and the Youth Environment Parliament and a documentary will be shown on environmental topics, which has been prepared by students. The ceremony will also include music with a nature theme and the distribution of environment art awards.
World Environment Day is a global day, led by UNEP to focus the world's attention on the important environmental issues we are facing. It is a celebration, but also a time to examine the state of our environment, carefully considering the actions which each of us must take towards our common task of preserving all life on earth. This responsibility is a collective one and I hope that especially on 5 June, you will consider your role and that of your organisation/agency/company within it.
* Habib El Habr is UNEP regional director and representative
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