Saudi Arabia and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June under the theme “Our Land, Our Future”. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ceremony will be held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh with dignitaries, officials, experts, and specialists from various countries in attendance.
The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) said the event will showcase the Kingdom’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, aligning with Vision 2030 goals. The focus will be on land restoration, combating desertification, and building drought resilience.
Saudi Arabia, UNEP to Host World Environment Day.https://t.co/YKKGxiUsI4#SPAGOV pic.twitter.com/dlgTPWLw1I
— SPAENG (@Spa_Eng) June 1, 2024
Last month, Deputy Executive Director of UNEP, Elizabeth Mrema, spoke of the urgency of action, stating: “Now is the time to act on commitments to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation. We are the first generation to fully understand the immense threats to the land – and might be the last one with a chance to reverse the course of destruction.”
The event will also reinforce the G20 Global Land Initiative, launched during Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency in 2020. It aims to promote national and international collaboration to rehabilitate ecosystems, supporting sustainable development goals.
In addition, the Kingdom will host the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Riyadh this December.
World Environment Day, marked annually on 5 June, was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. Over the past five decades, it has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach, with tens of millions of people participating online and through in-person activities, events, and actions around the world.
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