Subject: INFOTERRA: (Fwd) WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
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UNEP News Release
For information only. Not an official record.
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY TO BE CELEBRATED
IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES ON 5 JUNE
NAIROBI, 12 May 1998 -- In an effort to raise environmental awareness
and action, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) invites
people the world over to commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June.
With the theme For Life on Earth: Save Our Seas, the Day also
honours the United Nations International Year of the Ocean.
World Environment Day 1998 is special. Each year, UNEP, the
agency responsible for coordinating World Environment Day activities,
selects a city as the main venue for the international celebrations,
and this year, for the first time since the inception of this event,
the venue will be Moscow in Eastern Europe - a region of dramatic
change.
"The rapid economic, social and political changes which have
taken place in Eastern Europe over the past few years, have greatly
influenced the lifestyle of the people in the region," said Mr. Klaus
Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director. "World Environment Day provides
a unique opportunity to raise environmental awareness and mobilize
action."
"Action should be initiated by all sectors of society -
governments and non-governmental organizations, individuals and major
groups, business and industry alike, and only by sharing the
responsibility can the quality of life improve," adds Mr. Toepfer.
As the host of World Environment Day '98, the City of Moscow
and the Russian Federation have made a concerted effort to promote
environmental awareness and action nationally, regionally and
internationally, by organizing a series of important events. These
include, an International Congress and Exhibit on Water, Ecology and
Technology from 25 to 30 May; an international Urban Environment
Forum (UEF) entitled UEF-Euro '98, a joint UNEP and the United
Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) effort, which will
bring together more than 200 urban and development practitioners to
discuss ways of improving social and economic conditions in cities
through better urban environmental planning and management from 1 to
4 June; a Conference on Sustainable Cities, from 7 to 9 June, also a
joint UNEP and Habitat effort, which will bring together urban
specialists from some 20 countries around the world to discuss how to
better manage and address urban environmental problems by involving
the very people who inhabit those cities. Parallel to the Euro '98
event, the Government will also host an all-Russian People in Big
Cities Congress.
The main event to be held on 5 June will culminate with the
presentation of UNEP's Global 500 Awards to 23 individuals and
organizations from 19 countries who have made outstanding
contributions to the protection of the environment.
These environmental defenders have demonstrated that it is at the
community and local level where action to protect the environment
acquires its full meaning," said Mr. Toepfer. "UNEP is proud to
recognize and pay tribute to their achievements," he said.
World Environment Day, established by the United Nations
General Assembly in 1972, is a people's event with governments,
individuals and community groups organizing countless activities to
improve their environment. These include: clean-up campaigns, tree
planting, street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essay
competitions in schools, recycling efforts and so much more.
In many countries, this annual event is used to enhance
political attention and action. Heads of state, prime ministers and
ministers of environment deliver statements and commit themselves to
care for the Earth. More serious pledges are made which lead to the
establishment of permanent governmental structures dealing with
environmental management and economic planning. This observance also
provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international environmental
conventions.
World Environment Day is also a multi-media event which
inspires thousands of journalists and broadcasters to report
enthusiastically or critically on the environment. It is a visual
event with television documentaries, photo and art exhibits and
poster displays. It is also an intellectual event for those who
organize and participate in seminars, round-table meetings and
symposia.
"On this World Environment Day, let us aim higher than
creating a year of awareness raising," said Mr. Toepfer. "Let us
boldly plan to achieve real results. Our survival depends on it," he
said.
****
Note to journalists:
The full text of the United Nations Secretary-General's and UNEP's
Executive Director's World Environment Day messages are available
from UNEP Nairobi.
For more information, contact:
Tore J. Brevik Robert Bisset
Director, IPA Media and Communications Officer
NEP headquarters UNEP headquarters
P.O.Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi
Tel: (254-2) 62-3292 Tel: (254-2) 62-3084
Fax: (254-2) 62-3927 Fax: (254-2) 62-3692
E-mail: Tore.Brevik@unep.org E-mail: Robert.Bisset@unep.org
UNEP Web Site: http://www.unep.org.nl/locate/ContentsDirectkdem2.htmlst
UNEP News Release 1998/23
--------------------------------------------
Robert G. Bisset
Media and Communications Officer
UNEP, P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel. +254-2-623084, Fax. +254-2-623692
Robert.Bisset@unep.org, http://www.unep.org.nl/locate/ContentsDirectkdem2.htmlst
--------------------------------------------
Ms. Beth Ingraham, Information Officer
INFOTERRA-Secretariat
The Global Environmental Information Exchange Network
Division of Environmental Information and Assessment
United Nations Environment Programme
P.O. Box 30552
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: (254-2) 624299 or 623273
Fax: (254-2) 624269
Email: beth.ingraham@unep.org or infotinf@unep.org
Web: www.unep.org/unep/eia/ein/infoterr
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